So, Sasuke (and possibly Naruto) are acting a little bit out of character in this chapter, but there's a good reason and you will come to understand why later. That said, a lot of things happen in this chapter, and it's longer than usual. Also, I recently changed the plot 180 degrees so, hopefully you will like it because I sure do. We'll get more Menma and Charasuke next chapter:) To those of you who read the preview on tumblr, sorry it took so long to actually finish the chapter, heh.
Anyway, here you go!
Chapter 15: Losing control part I
xxx
When Obito knocked on the door to the Namikaze household, he wasn't expecting Menma to open it.
"What do you want?" the teenager asked, barely covering a yawn and looking far from happy at being woken up this early.
"Something tells me I should have already known you were here. Didn't hand in your mission report yet?"
Menma glared at him, shrugging as he leaned against the doorframe.
"We came back pretty late."
"And Naruto?"
Menma shrugged again, causing Obito's smile to strain a little more.
"Why don't you get dressed and head over to the Hokage tower with it right away, then? Tsunade will be overjoyed to know that not only did you skip reporting in as you arrived, you also clearly met Naruto and didn't bother to find out what's going on."
Menma looked less indifferent now, shoulders tensing slightly.
"He said he was here by accident," he argued, and Obito raised a non-impressed eyebrow.
"You've got five minutes to get dressed, and that's pretty generous," was all he said, sending a pointed look in the direction of Menma's wrinkly boxers.
"Oh get over yourself, Uchiha. You're not the Hokage," Menma told him, but did turn around to, hopefully, get dressed.
"You'll regret saying that," Obito mumbled, but refrained from giving in to his urges grab the boy and simply dump him in front of Tsunade. "Where are your parents?" he asked instead.
"Mission," Menma grunted over his shoulder, stopping in his tracks when he turned his head again to see Sasuke appear by the end of the hallway.
When Sasuke noticed Obito he quickly stepped out of sight again, but when Obito sternly called his name he reluctantly reappeared.
"Hey," he pouted, hovering in the distance until Obito beckoned for him to come closer.
"Any particular reason you're waking up in Menma's house?"
Sasuke crossed his arms, lips thinned. Obito wondered if he was aware of the multitude of hickeys and other interesting marks covering most of his neck and chest.
"It's none of your business," Sasuke mumbled, clearly embarrassed.
Sending another pointed look towards Menma to get him moving, Obito decided to take pity on his relative.
"Come here," he sighed, his hand glowing a faint green as he slowly moved it over the marks covering Sasuke. "Your mother will throw a fit if she sees you like this."
The younger Uchiha was gritting his teeth, cheeks reddened as he glared at a wall.
"I could have worn a shirt to cover them."
"Or you could tell that boyfriend of yours to be a little more careful."
"Not my boyfriend," Sasuke disagreed, glaring at him when his hand moved from his neck to down his chest. "And you really don't need to do that."
"On the contrary, now I really want to. I haven't seen you in a year, and I come home to you letting that Namikaze boy get you in trouble? What happened to all those nice girls you were chasing?"
"They're still around. And I'm not in trouble."
Obito closed his eyes for a second, wondering to himself why the younger Uchiha generation had to be so troublesome.
"If you're not in trouble yet, that smart tone of yours will make sure you end up in it anyway. Get dressed, you're wanted at the Hokage tower as well."
He never acted like this as a teenager, did he?
About five minutes later he sent the two reluctant boys in the right direction, then quickly made his way to Sasuke's house. Most likely, Naruto would be there as well. He couldn't blame him for leaving – listening to yourself having sex with your friend's alter ego would be traumatizing for anyone.
He found Fugaku out on the front steps, a cup of tea in hand as he waited for him.
"Aren't you usually at the station around this time?" Obito asked, following him inside.
"They'll survive an hour without me. No Naruto?"
"I'm taking a wild guess he's with Sasuke. Besides, your son came back last night."
"Really?" Fugaku was frowning as they ascended the stairs. "Then were has he been?"
"Menma's place."
Obito was discrete enough not to mention exactly why.
"That kid's always doing whatever he wants," Fugaku sighed, pausing outside Sasuke's room. "They didn't give Naruto any trouble, did they?"
"I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Fugaku placed his hand on the door handle, but paused again. There was a troubled look on his face as he regarded Obito for a few seconds in silence.
"Obito… you won't go too hard on them, will you? They both seem a bit… emotionally unstable."
"We'll see," was all he could promise, even though he silently agreed with Fugaku.
"Sasuke still hasn't said anything about his past or his circumstances in their world. I can't help but feel that-"
"Fugaku," Obito gently interrupted him with, pushing the door open. "Naruto and Sasuke have probably been through more than we can even imagine. You'll need to be patient. It'll be your and Mikoto's job to make sure he's alright, and my job to make sure we figure out what's going on."
Fugaku didn't look particularly pleased to hear this, but Obito ignored him in favor of observing the two young ninja on the bed. They looked as if they'd huddled close, face to face, alone in a strange and frightening world.
"I don't want to upset them," he said quietly as the boys stirred. "But we need answers."
"I know," Fugaku sighed, a frown on his reliable face. "But like I tried telling you earlier, I can't help but feel they don't deserve any of the things that must have happened to them."
As Naruto blinked bleary eyes at them, unconsciously reaching a hand out across the mattress towards a blank-faced Sasuke, Obito wondered if he really wanted to know.
xxx
Once Naruto and Sasuke had woken up and gotten some breakfast in their stomachs –Mikoto's orders– Obito led them to the Hokage tower. He didn't talk along the way, considering you never know who's listening, and he thought they'd been lax enough already by allowing them to run freely through the village. His company didn't seem eager to talk either, Sasuke with a closed off expression, and Naruto mostly yawning.
Reaching the building he quickly showed them inside, taking them down a couple of floors until they reached a restricted area. He produced the document showing he had permission to enter, noticing how Naruto was looking increasingly nervous.
"We're only down here to make sure no one overhears," he reassured him, walking through the dimly lit corridor at a brisk pace.
"About time," Sasuke muttered, and Obito sent him a quick smile.
"In here."
It was a regular-looking room, only containing a plain table and a few chairs surrounding it. The walls were covered in wooden panels, the lights over their heads bright but spreading a soothing yellow through the small space. It was a room meant for discussions, not interrogations, but Obito couldn't understand why they wouldn't make the chairs less uncomfortable. Maybe he'd suggest it if he was elected.
"Tsunade-sama should be here in a few minutes," he said, sitting down and giving Naruto and Sasuke an expectant look.
"Umm, okay," Naruto replied, slouching in a seat. "Are, uh, Menma and…?"
"Oh, no, they won't be in this meeting. Why do you ask?"
Naruto's face flushed bright red, and he stole a glance towards Sasuke who was staring in a bored manner at Obito.
"No reason," Naruto mumbled, crossing his arms and gazing around the room instead.
"They didn't bother you last night, did they?"
His question made Sasuke turn sharply to the right, eyes narrowing as Naruto frantically shook his head.
"Well, you'll meet them soon again, I'm sure."
"Can't wait," Sasuke said in a monotone voice, causing Naruto to wince.
A minute or two passed in tense silence before the door opened to reveal Tsunade, Shizune, and Nawaki. He had to admit it was a little strange that he was allowed to attend, but decided not to question it.
"So, Naruto, Sasuke, let's have a little talk, shall we?" Tsunade started, placing herself opposite of Naruto with her hands clasped in front of her on the tabletop.
Naruto, however, was staring at Nawaki.
"Your necklace…" he trailed off, biting his lips.
Obito looked at it just like everyone else in the room, the bright green jewel that originally belonged to the first Hokage glimmering discreetly in the light.
"Yes?" Nawaki replied, curiosity in his eyes.
"No, I just… are you baa-chan's little brother?"
Nawaki looked like he found it difficult not to laugh at Naruto's choice of words, and Obito had to wonder what made Naruto refer to Tsunade as such. Clearly he must have never faced her cold fury.
"Correct, I'm Nawaki. Why don't we start right off? How come you mentioned my necklace?"
But Naruto's lips closed tightly, even as he kept staring at the necklace.
"Maybe Sasuke can explain?" Shizune suggested, but the young Uchiha only shrugged.
If that meant he didn't know the answer, or didn't want to tell, was impossible to determine.
"Alright," Tsunade sighed, "Let's establish some things first. We have no idea how dangerous this situation is, or what the reason that you're here means, but we've decided to treat this as a serious threat. Which means," she paused, eyeing the two boys with fierceness, "that you two can choose to talk, or to be detained."
Naruto's lips twitched, as if the last part of her sentence was amusing somehow. He quickly caught himself however, sharing an unreadable look with Sasuke instead.
"Your choice," Sasuke answered an unvoiced question, a thousand emotions rushing through Naruto's eyes before settling for determination.
"I don't mind talking," he slowly stated, straightening up and suddenly looking much older, boring his eyes into each of them. "But we're leaving Sasuke out of this."
The tension spiked, the silence thick enough to cut through.
"That's not an option I gave you," Tsunade disagreed, but to Obito's surprise, Naruto actually gave a roguish smile at this.
"Well, I probably outrank you, anyway."
Now this was unexpected. Sasuke seemed to be the only one unmoved by the statement, or rather, he looked like he was about to roll his eyes.
"Dobe, I don't need protection."
Naruto didn't change his expression, gaze stuck on Tsunade.
"But this was my choice, remember?"
"And what are you going to do if they refuse to agree? Blowing up the village is hardly in our best interest at this point."
Naruto's eyes seemed to darken, the air becoming thicker with his presence, and Obito felt the hairs at the base of his neck rise. If he'd ever doubted that Naruto was powerful, he certainly wouldn't keep those doubts from now on. There was just something about the look in his eyes that told him Itachi's voiced worries over someone trying to use either of the two to manipulate the other would work, and scarily well.
"It doesn't matter," Naruto said quietly, shoulders tense, but his piercing eyes glancing at Sasuke briefly. "They don't deserve to judge you."
No one moved, and Obito held his breath as he waited for Tsunade to respond. Sasuke had never seemed the innocent type, and it was likely he was the one they needed the back story on. Considering Naruto's words, however, the price would be high…
"Agreed. For now."
Tsunade's words broke the tension and Naruto slowly relaxed into his seat again, looking more like the nervous teenager he'd appeared to be earlier.
"Alright then," he sighed. "What do you want to know?"
xxx
The first thing Shisui noticed as he drifted awake was Itachi's scent. The second thing was Itachi's long hair, and the curve of his pale shoulder.
He raised the arm thrown around Itachi's body to trace circles on his skin, his touch light and teasing, and not long after he could feel the other man stir and bury his face deeper into the pillow.
"Good morning," he murmured, pressing his nose into Itachi's neck, fingers gently squeezing Itachi's shoulder.
"For once, I actually believe it is."
Itachi's voice was raspy with sleep, and yet it was the most beautiful sound in the world to him. The past year had been much too long, and much too lonesome. Did he dare to think that things were fine from now on?
"Slept well?"
Itachi hummed, curling in on himself but taking hold of Shisui's hand to wrap it around his chest again.
"I always sleep better with you."
Shisui released an explosive breath, hugging Itachi tight. As carefree as he tried to be, Itachi could so easily affect his emotions. It had always been like that, and surely it always would.
He kissed the base of his neck, continuing up along his shoulder, nuzzling soft skin over hard muscle and trying his best to get rid of the unease that told him this was just another wishful dream.
"Did I tire you out last night?" he teased anyway, laughing quietly when he received a smack on his arm.
"Hardly." Itachi's voice sounded less sleepy now, and he sat up with graceful movements to look down at Shisui. "I wonder if Sasuke's alright, though."
Shisui was distracted by Itachi's hair falling loose over his chest and arm, his head tilted slightly towards him. He let his fingers travel up his arm, slowly, admiring every little hair, every little birthmark. When he reached his shoulder he diverted his path and brushed the tips of his fingers over Itachi's collarbone, contemplating getting up to use his mouth instead.
"You didn't answer my question," Itachi reminded him, leaning his weight on one arm, and intertwining his free hand with Shisui's as it paused on its way down his chest.
"I don't know what to answer," he admitted, meeting Itachi's dark eyes, framed by even darker lashes. "He seemed both upset and, relieved, somehow."
Itachi lifted his hand to his lips, kissing his fingers lovingly, sending rushes of warmth through Shisui's chest.
"Maybe he thought of his brother," he continued, narrowing his eyes slightly when Itachi delivered a tiny little bite to one finger. "Maybe he wishes he was still alive."
Last night, after they had realized that Sasuke was listening, they had followed him into the garden. They'd caught up to him by the pond, where he stood in a rigid pose, staring unseeingly in front of him. He hadn't acknowledged their existence for a long time, and Shisui had just been about to tug Itachi back towards the house, when he'd turned towards them.
"Or maybe he lost his love," Itachi whispered, pressing his face into Shisui's palm. "And now he's trying to find it again."
There had been such raw, desperate yearning in Sasuke's eyes, and Shisui swallowed hard at the eerie similarity they held with the dark ones he currently gazed into. Hoisting himself up, he cupped Itachi's face to brush their lips together, warm breaths mingling, hoping he didn't look as vulnerable as he felt. He had dreamt during the night, none of it good, with Sasuke's words ringing through his ears like the chiming of heavy bells.
"I wish he would smile like that again."
xxx
Sasuke was tired. He listened with half an ear to Naruto recounting large chunks of his life, having heard it all before. There were parts that Naruto had told him, and parts that he'd been told without asking. A surprising amount of people seemed to enjoy trying to guilt trip him because of what he'd done to Naruto, and the village.
Well, the joke was on them because none of them could ever make him feel as bad as he did himself.
Currently he still suffered from a mild headache knocking at his eyes from the inside, which wasn't helped by his tiredness. He guessed that his body was still dealing with the aftermath of what had transpired yesterday, and Naruto seemed tired as well. Still, his mouth kept going, recounting everything but skillfully leaving the parts starring Sasuke out of the story. Sometimes he wondered just how much Naruto had ever told the others about what they'd been through together…
He took a steadying breath, trying to gather his thoughts and send them into less upsetting territories. Last night had left his emotions in turmoil, and he still wasn't sure why he'd reacted so strongly. All he knew was that his control had slipped, and he'd shown Itachi and Shisui a vulnerable side he had never intended for.
Naruto was now telling his audience about Pein's attack, and the whole back story on Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan. He glanced at the blond ninja, feeling his chakra squirm, aware of how little Naruto enjoyed talking about this part of his life. Sasuke had never met Jiraiya, but he wasn't stupid. The toad sage had been an important part of Naruto's life, and to Sasuke it was obvious that he was struggling with telling them about his death and the destruction of Konoha. He felt a pang of regret and clenched his fists harshly around the seat of the chair.
Ever since yesterday, he'd been unable to push down and ignore certain emotions. They would flood him unexpectedly, disappearing as quickly as they came, leaving him to feel drained for a couple of minutes.
It bothered him.
Usually, it would take a lot before he slipped up, but these bursts of emotion didn't feel like slipping. It felt more like… walking on a smooth, flat surface and suddenly there was a hole in the ground that his foot got stuck in, causing him to fall uncontrollably forwards and land on his face.
It was uncomfortable to stand up afterwards and act like nothing happened.
He wouldn't have minded some more time to recover, and he wondered if Naruto had the same problem. Even so he wasn't about to voice his concerns to the other people in the room. No one had seemed to notice how Naruto's explanation earlier had shut down his brain for a moment. He'd felt as if the words pierced him, burrowing deep inside his chest, and now they rested there as if waiting for the moment to strike him full force.
Like a delayed explosive tag.
Another steadying breath, and he tried his best to ignore the tiny throbbing that reverberated through his chest. Naruto had moved on to explain their fight against Akatsuki and the masked man, not a single word on how Sasuke had been the one to attack the Hachibi. He must have talked for nearly two hours by now. Hopefully they wouldn't be stuck here the whole day, because Sasuke found the atmosphere suffocating. He didn't want to think about the past, and when Naruto didn't even mention Itachi as a member of Akatsuki, he stared down at his lap and almost wanted to laugh.
Naruto might be doing this to protect him from painful memories, but it wasn't that much different from what the council tried to do at home. Konoha was a place filled with lies, important issues hidden underneath pretty words and ninja rules.
'The will of fire'.
He almost snorted to himself. Fire was the trademark Uchiha affinity, and no Hokage had been favoring it. Yet, here, Itachi was taking part in elections… So many other things had been occupying his mind that he hadn't found the time to ponder this. Though, Naruto was the only person he could think of that embodied the will of fire from tip to toe. Either way, once Naruto was done talking, there were things he wanted to know.
"So, you're saying that you actually fought all of the bijuu plus Obito, and defeated them?"
Naruto nodded, and Tsunade frowned deeply at him. Not surprising in Sasuke's opinion. Who wants to find out that a person you don't know if you need to fight against has managed to defeat multiple chakra beasts?
"Last time when you fought Menma, the both of you made the Kyuubi gain physical form. Can you do that whenever you want?"
"Well, unless Kurama doesn't feel like it."
"Kurama?"
"Yeah, that's his name. They've all got names, actually. Pretty hard to learn but they're cool names in my opinion."
Tsunade hummed, pushing her glasses further up her nose. She'd been asking questions now and then, mostly asking Naruto to clarify things he brushed over. Then again, Naruto's storytelling was jumping all over the place, and he often backtracked to add things he'd forgotten. Tsunade kept her professional attitude, but Nawaki often made impressed faces, and Shizune looked positively awed. Obito on the other hand looked thoughtful, often glancing at Sasuke, probably coming to his own conclusions about the plot holes in Naruto's recap.
It was when Naruto told them about how Kaguya showed up through black Zetsu and the history behind her, that Nawaki decided to speak.
"Can I just see if I understood the whole thing?" When Naruto nodded, most likely glad for a small break, Nawaki clasped his hands in front of him. "So, Kaguya ate the chakra fruit and then the power got to her head, which forced her sons to seal her. Then Hagoromo, the older son, chose Ashura as his successor instead of Indra, which caused a rift between them that has continued on until you and Sasuke were born as their reincarnations…?"
"Pretty much," Naruto agreed.
"I see," Nawaki mused, and a couple of seconds later, a light went off for Naruto.
"Hold on, you mean things are different here?"
"Well," Nawaki started with an amused twitch of his lips, "It seemed to me as if everything was different between our worlds. But yes, the story of Kaguya is nothing like what you described."
"Tell us," Sasuke demanded, earning a few surprised looks.
"Hmm, alright. You should ask Sarutobi if you want the full, detailed story, but I'll give you the shortened version I tell the kids." Nawaki paused to gather his thoughts, and Sasuke shared a look with Naruto, wondering just how different it could be.
"You see, Kaguya was a simple woman from a simple family, who refused to marry the man her parents had chosen for her. So, she ran away. Along the way, it is believed that she heard about the God Tree, and the chakra fruit. This was during an era filled with poverty and famine, and many poor humans were sold as slaves by those who were rich. Women didn't have the right to their own bodies, and Kaguya, being tired of it all, wanted to change things. She found the fruit, ate it, and became powerful enough to turn things around and affect people's hearts."
"What, she just made everyone become good people?" Naruto asked, eyes wide in surprise.
"It wasn't that simple, but when you're starving and someone can make rain fall, plants grow, and heal your sick family, it's not so strange to want to follow that person and listen to them. Those who followed her, she shared her chakra with, and the others she drove away. For several hundred years things were shaky and hostile, which was what caused ninja to come into existence. However, a true ninja does not live and learn to fight in order to kill and conquer, but so that they can protect the people and ensure peace. Oh, and in order to spread peace to those who lack it, as well."
Sasuke slowly blinked, trying to process the information. It felt as if his head was reeling, and Naruto didn't look much better. The throbbing inside his chest was intensifying, the ache behind his eyes increasing. He tried to ignore the feeling, irritation rushing through him unchecked and doing nothing to help.
"Sasuke, are you alright?"
It was Shizune who watched him in concern, and he found it was all but impossible to unclench his jaw to reply. So he nodded, forcing his shoulders to relax. It took a lot of effort, but he refused to let it show.
"Still," Nawaki continued, "the villages weren't shaped until maybe a century ago. The separate clans thought they were doing well on their own, but the amount of trained ninja was decreasing, and the daimyos thought a system was needed in order to make sure the tradition lived on. It's still decreasing, really."
"Well, we can discuss our own problems later," Tsunade interrupted him with. "We don't have all day, so please continue with the story, Naruto."
Sasuke was about to object, but something held him back, and instead he balled his fists in frustration. He tried to tune out Naruto as he talked, not interested in reliving that particular day. It was becoming more and more difficult to simply sit still and listen. Impatience bubbled inside of him, causing his legs to twitch when he wouldn't let them restlessly bob. He was a ninja, this should be a piece of cake for him, but it felt as if Naruto was talking too slowly, and he stared at him as if it would make him hurry up.
Once Naruto got to the part where everyone was put in the infinite tsukuyomi, however, Sasuke's entire body seemed to freeze. He had managed to dismiss the memories of his talk with the Sage, only feeling vaguely guilty for his past convictions. Now, however, it was impossible to stop his mind from providing him with flashing pictures, little snippets of what happened during the fight dancing in front of his eyes as Naruto's voice called them forth. He could clearly see every expression Naruto had worn on his battle worn face, every meaningful look sent Sasuke's way, every tiny infliction to his voice when responding to Sasuke's actions.
He felt feverish, his eyes aching, nails digging into his palms. As Naruto built up to the finishing blow that had sealed Kaguya, Sasuke felt his nerves tingling as if charged with chakra, his breathing becoming quicker. Naruto had snuck worried glances at him for several minutes, but whenever someone prepared to voice their concerns he waved them off.
"…and Sakura charged from above her, punching her while Sasuke and I came from the sides, and we managed to trap her so that the Sage could do his thing and seal her. And uh, yeah, that was basically it I guess. We went back to our dimension and everyone woke up…"
He could remember it so clearly. The exhaustion, Naruto's farewell to his father, Madara's final words…
The Sage asking him about his convictions.
He hadn't known what to say, much less what he wanted to do. He'd lost the urge to take revenge, had lost the voice in the back of his head that whispered to him that fighting was the only answer, that hatred was the only way to bring people together. What if there was another way to go about things? What if he could come to terms with his past and Itachi's sacrifice without following Indra's suggestions? He'd beaten him, after all, and now all he had left was his own, confused and broken voice. It was possible that there was another way to change things…
He had turned to Naruto, then. His best friend had already been watching him silently, and when their eyes met, something seemed to click. Something vast, something so enormous that Sasuke had staggered underneath its weight.
Everyone else had disappeared, lost in the background as Naruto walked over to him. He had lifted his right hand, smudged with blood and dirt, while trapping Sasuke in his gaze.
Sasuke had trembled, then, had crumbled underneath Naruto's touch as his fingers caressed his cheek, had swallowed with a sandpaper dry throat before lifting his left hand to loosely curl it around Naruto's wrist.
In present time, Sasuke had stood up, heart pounding and ears ringing.
"Sasuke?"
One look at Naruto's concerned face, and he was out the door before he could even reflect on what he was doing. The guards on the other side startled, but he stopped only a few steps ahead of them, lungs burning as if he'd been running for days.
He pressed the heels of his palms against his clenched shut eyes, fumbling for some semblance of control as his body seemed to shiver with suppressed emotions.
"Sasuke, what's going on?"
Naruto, of course, followed him outside, but he found it difficult to separate him from the Naruto of a year ago as he grabbed his hands and forced Sasuke to look at him.
"You look sick."
Naruto's face was scrunched up with worry, his fingers clasping Sasuke's gently. The touch felt too warm, yet soothing for the chaos in his head.
"I don't know," he forced out, closing his eyes again and forcing himself to calm his breathing, wondering why the hell his ninja techniques weren't working to steel his emotions.
Then he felt Naruto's touch growing hotter, chakra seeping from Naruto's hands into his own. The effect was immediate. His shivers disappeared, the cold sweat that had formed on his forehead dissipating, his limbs relaxing as he released a shuddering sigh.
It wasn't the first time that Naruto had done this, but it was definitely the first time it didn't happen in the middle of the night after a nightmare. He'd stayed in Naruto's apartment for almost two months after coming back, and Naruto had woken up to find him almost in panic after certain dreams had plagued his mind. The dreams had decreased in number, as if injections with Naruto's chakra lasted longer and longer, like some kind of medicine.
But this time had felt different.
"Better?" Naruto asked him quietly, and Sasuke realized that they had an audience.
"Yes, just the memories," he muttered back, sorting through his still confused brain.
Naruto smiled at him, and Sasuke sucked in a sharp breath, though his body remained calm. It was only a faint, relieved one, but Sasuke found it captivating all the same.
But it had nothing on the smile that he had received that time, after the battle had finished and Naruto stood in front of him, patiently waiting for his reply.
"I guess I'll go with you for now," he'd said, and Naruto…
Naruto's smile had blinded him.
xxx
A few minutes later they were back in the meeting room, left alone for the time being. Sasuke had slumped down in a chair, Naruto moving one for himself so that they were practically face to face, knees bumping. If Naruto hadn't taken hold of his hands again, he would have considered placing them on the table to sleep on. As it was, he was too tired to care that Naruto was showing his concern so obviously.
No, tired was the wrong word. He didn't feel like he needed to sleep, but rather that he needed all these emotions to disappear. They were exhausting him.
"Sasuke, what's going on? You've never reacted like this before."
Naruto's expression was too open, too worried, and Sasuke had to close his eyes simply so he didn't need to see it. Yes, Naruto's chakra had calmed him down, but he had a feeling it was only a temporary relief.
"I don't know," he admitted, because he honestly had no idea what was happening to him.
"Do you need more chakra?"
He shook his head, and heard Naruto let out a small sigh. It was good that Naruto decided not to ask any more questions, because Sasuke needed the break they'd been given to collect himself. Naruto's thumbs rubbed little circles over his hands, and for once he didn't mind the contact. His body did feel a little warmer, but it was dampened by Naruto's chakra swirling through his system. The first times it had felt strange, not in a bad way but still, strange. Now, it just felt like Naruto himself; partly annoying, partly extremely soothing.
There was a knock on the door, and he could feel Naruto's irritation through the slight twitch of his hands.
"What?" Naruto asked the person entering, and Sasuke opened his eyes to squint at Obito as he came to sit with them.
"Sorry to bother you," he said, but didn't seem like he would leave them anytime soon. "The others will be back in a couple of minutes, but I thought I'd come see if you have any questions. Specifically, if Sasuke has any."
Obito was giving him a serious look that caused a faint, uncomfortable twist in his stomach.
"Fugaku mentioned you haven't discussed the Sharingan and so on yet, and considering what happened yesterday, I thought it might be good to know the differences."
A little more chakra seeped from Naruto into his hands, perhaps in a subconscious gesture, and Sasuke swallowed against his dry throat.
"What do you want to know?"
Obito gave him a small smile, leaning his forearms on the table.
"I can start talking, if you want. You seemed curious about our history."
He nodded, slowly, ignoring Naruto's frown.
"Well then. It seems we have in common that the Sharingan is a double-edged sword, that only a handful of clan members can awaken. It's a great power, but it will eventually turn you blind depending on how much you use it. And, of course, the conditions for developing it…"
Sasuke held his breath.
"The Sharingan has been passed down in generations ever since Indra developed it as a less dangerous version of the Rinnegan. It is said that back then, you could attain it through practicing, the way you would learn, say, genjutsu. It's become much rarer since then, and the fact that first Madara, then me, Itachi, and Shisui developed it is quite extraordinary."
Naruto was fidgeting in his seat, squeezing Sasuke's hands rather than rubbing them now.
"You see, the Sharingan is a means of protection. It's a last resort, you could say. When someone we love is in grave danger, and we risk losing them, our brains kick start the Sharingan in order to gain the extra strength needed to defeat the enemy. It's a selfless act, to ultimately sacrifice your eyesight in order to keep your loved ones safe."
He felt numb. It was so similar, yet the complete opposite, that he simply didn't know what to think of it.
"To use me as an example, I developed the Sharingan when Kakashi and I were attacked, but not until Kakashi had had his eye destroyed and I was prepared to give my life to protect him, as an important friend and teammate. A couple of years later, my other teammate was kidnapped by some exiled Konoha ninjas and had the Sanbi sealed within her in order to attack the village. Kakashi was with her but he was defeated and barely survived. Then, when the Sanbi broke loose, I achieved the Mangekyo in order to control it."
"Was she okay?" Naruto asked, and Obito sent him a sad smile.
"No, unfortunately she died. It's something Kakashi and I will always have to live with."
An uncomfortable silence fell in the room, not broken until Obito cleared his throat again. Sasuke could tell that Naruto had spent the silence thinking about the Obito of their dimension, where Rin's death had been a mere means to an end for Madara.
"Anyway, Tsunade has found a way to postpone the blindness, but not forever. But you, Sasuke, said that your eyesight wasn't supposed to deteriorate. How come?"
Sasuke stared at the dark, polished wood of the tabletop, wondering if he should reply. How he should reply. His mind was still whirring with the explanation that Obito had given, Itachi's face hovering along the edges of his vision. It was probably good that Naruto pumped even more of his chakra into him.
"What about the Rinnegan?" he asked instead, staring at Obito, who looked thoughtful for a moment.
"It has rarely ever happened. There are a few stories but…" he paused to seemingly collect his thoughts. "Madara also got his from the Sage. However, both he and Hashirama lost those powers afterwards, meaning they could only use them during that fight. But Madara gained it for a second time, though shortly afterwards he… well, he lost his mind. It was a very tragic end for a great man."
Frowning deeply, Sasuke tried to read Obito's expression. What did he mean by losing his mind?
"So, the theory is that the Rinnegan is too powerful to be used without direct influence of the Sage of the Six Paths. It's too much for the brain to handle, which is probably why Indra decided to create the Sharingan."
"Okay but, why did Hashirama and Madara fight each other? I thought you said there wasn't any bad blood between Indra and Ashura."
Obito blinked at Naruto, then raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Of course they didn't fight each other. For some reason, the bijuu had gathered to attack us ninjas. They were originally intelligent and peaceful, but they've gradually become mindless chakra entities, which is why they're all sealed within humans nowadays. But they weren't at the time that Madara and Hashirama were young, and so they received Indra's and Ashura's powers in order to control them and protect everyone."
Naruto was gaping, and Sasuke was, yet again, unsure of how he felt. He knew that Naruto had been fighting to close the gap between them that had been created by Indra's presence, and he himself still struggled with remnants of it. Yes, Naruto was his best friend, but he was also someone he had tried desperately to cut out of his life.
"The two of them were chosen because of their relations to the Uchiha and Senju clans, and because they were already close friends. Indra and Ashura are said to have been inseparable, and, well…" Obito looked slightly embarrassed, letting out a frustrated sigh. "It's said that their closeness is what caused the tradition of so much inter-marriage within the clans. Sure, it's also because of a need to keep the respective abilities intact, but I wonder…"
The last part he mostly mumbled to himself, looking concerned, and Sasuke realized that he must be talking about Itachi and Shisui. Perhaps Madara and Hashirama as well, even though they were from different clans. There would be no point for relationships between two men if it was in order to make sure the clan prospered, rather the opposite.
"Huh, inter what now?"
Naruto looked confused, and Sasuke supposed he couldn't be blamed for it. He'd never belonged to a clan. To Sasuke, it was an obvious strategy, and his whole clan had been full of closely related couples. The Hyuuga, too, as well as many other clans. If Sasuke's family had lived, he was sure that once he'd become an adult, he'd be expected to reproduce with a suitable relative.
"It's when you marry relatives to make sure the clan's bloodline limit stays strong," he replied in Obito's stead, Naruto blinking rapidly at him, his face paling as it dawned on him.
"What," he spluttered, looking between them.
"Of course, you can't only marry relatives, because the clan would die out," Obito added. "Especially now it's a problem, because the clans are growing smaller. But Orochimaru and Tsunade have been working on a process to make sure the correct genes will be passed on, to get rid of arranged marriages, too."
Naruto still looked shocked, but Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to care. He had long since accepted that his clan would die out with him, and he wasn't eager to produce children, either.
"This is the reason that same sex couples are being frowned upon lately, unless they take responsibility, so to say, and reproduce."
"Okay but, this is so weird. This doesn't happen at home." He looked at Sasuke, who merely raised an eyebrow tiredly at him. "Wait, you mean- but- that's just-"
Naruto seemed to struggle with coming to terms with the whole concept, and Sasuke had to sigh at his naivety.
"It doesn't matter, dobe, just leave it."
"But they were brothers!"
"It's only a rumor," Obito said apologetically. "I probably shouldn't have brought it up if it made you uncomfortable."
Naruto was definitely wild-eyed at this point, squeezing Sasuke's hands hard until he seemed to realize what exactly he was doing and promptly let go.
"You're overreacting," Sasuke told him, but Naruto crossed his arms and glared at him.
"Well you're under-reacting!" he exclaimed, causing Sasuke to sigh through his nose and rub one cheek.
The door opened, and Tsunade walked inside, followed by the other two.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked Sasuke, who nodded in confirmation. "Good, let's continue, then."
He glanced at Naruto, who was now muttering things under his breath, looking mildly disturbed. It looked like he would need to suffer through a long rant once the meeting was over.