So, gather up your jackets, move it to the exits
I hope you have found a friend
Closing time, every new beginning
Comes from some other beginning's end - Closing time by Supersonic

Waking up back in my childhood home. I thought it would be different, and although it was, it was also comforting. I hadn't slept here in seven years, but it could have been yesterday. Except for the lack of furnishings. I stretched and got up to start my day as a Uchiha again.

I found the idea strange. Had I given up on being a Uchiha out there? In the end, what did my family name mean? A blighted family that always fell into darkness? Or could I be the first in Itachi's vision for the Uchiha name? I liked that alternative, I was more than tired of being the wayward child. Besides, Hinata and her child deserved better. I deserved better. I would never be perfect, I'd already warped the fabric of my life, but I could try and make things right for all the other Uchiha that followed after me.

I did my morning rituals, stepping into the shower to find that the soaps that Itachi had left, and that I hadn't unpacked, were in the stall. Hinata must have been using the same ones. I laughed quietly, wondering if she was just holding onto his memory or simply liked the rosemary and mint scent. I soaped up and nodded happily, I liked it, too.

"Sasuke?" Hinata's voice came from the other side of the door, "I have to meet with Kakashi-sama, there was a messenger; he'd like to see us both, if you could swing by later. There's some leftovers in the fridge or you can pick around in the kitchen. We've got a decent pantry going, even if everything else is up in the air."

"Okay. Thanks."

I rinsed and shut off the water, wiping my body with the blade of my hand before wrapping myself with a towel. I went back to my room, taking my time to wear something that said 'Upright Citizen' more than 'Shadowy Stranger'. It felt good to be wearing a soft cotton tunic with my fan stitched properly on my neck. The pants would certainly do, even the so popular Naruto wore black pants.

I continued thinking about my family, I suppose being in this place was bound to make that inevitable. I'd been without them for a long time now, but seeing the cupboards playing host to Hinata's dishware and knick knacks made me a little sad. Not that I cared about the dishes, but that my mom hadn't made a piping hot pot of porridge or miso with kabocha or tofu. I located a frying pan and made a couple of fried eggs and helped myself to a heaping fork-full of pickled green tomatoes from a small jar.

I'd gotten here yesterday in enough time to see all the changes that time had made to our compound. The big gates marked with our fan were open and both sides were stopped from closing by large rocks. It was a definite step in the right direction. Slightly more distressing were the tent markets that had popped up seemingly willy-nilly. I figured that after Pain had wrecked the main village, civilians had moved into homes that were still standing. That meant outlying clans like mine and the Hyuga and a couple of the other secretive types.

Now the view out the door was different. Instead of a fence that had separated our neighbor from the street, there was a fruit stall across from the seat. A plump man with ruddy hair and craggy features had manned it when I walked up last night. Now a couple of teens with the same range of features, sons to the man I'd seen, maybe?, were hawking apples, grapes, and the last of the season's melons. I eyed a basket of plump yellow-orange persimmons. I should pick some up when I come back.

I walked past all the new people, storefronts, and the permanently opened gates to the main road. A look to the right, and I saw the pond that I'd spent so much time at. I felt it pull at me even now, but ignored it. I would have time to ruminate by its shore later. Today I was going to see what Kakashi had in mind for my future. And maybe I'd swing by Naruto's and see if he wanted to spar.

Walking past the academy, I briefly watched the kids practice the shuriken and kunai. I wondered what would become of them. Did Naruto truly mean to bring an end to fighting between nations? I didn't think it was possible, though I had learned not to discount him. I knew from my wandering that things were not rosy out there. Some people still distrusted the Leaf, or Iron, or whomever else had terrorized thier village in thier granfather's time. Or even last week. I shook my head and walked on.

I continued, actually enjoying the sun on my skin, the wind making a mess of my hair. This time was precious to me, and I don't want to lose or waste it. Instead of worrying about what was happening beyond Konoha's borders, I felt the pieces of me that were happy here restore themselves. I thought they were lost forever, but I had left them here when I'd left everything else good. Instead of letting that sour my mood, I purposefully lifted my lips into a smile. Maybe I looked like a fool, but I knew that I was done fooling myself. I am happy here.

As the village settled into the markets and then the parade ground, I stopped again, and took in the sight of the Hokage's Tower. I'd seen prettier, maybe even grander, but this was the tower of my village. With another smile I walked in, and up the spiraling stairs to Kakashi-sensei's new office.

The brunette secretary was there, her hair done in a long pony this time, and she greeted me with a chipper smile, "There you are! The Rokudaime will want me to admit you. Why don't you get in there? He's only dealing with people today, so they go in as they come!" She chuckled softly before bellowing, "Kurobin!" A genin with bright eyes and dark hair darted in.

Since she seemed to be done with me I went in to see Kakashi. This time, his hat was perched on his head as he shuffled papers and little snapshots -of all things- around on his desk.

"Sasuke, good. Though I hadn't set a time, this is perfect." He moved a couple sheets to the fore, and I could easily make out Hinata's photograph sitting right on top of mine and two younger kids smiled up at me from a set next to ours. "I hope you've given your status some thought."

"I rather think you've already made a decision."

"I did," He tapped the second pile, "I saw Hinata this morning and asked her to take the Jonin exam. I have to hold off on having her take the practical until after the baby is born, but I'll be promoting her to provisional Jonin status today."

I lifted my brows, "I'm sure she's happy, and I wish her well."

"Right. I am assigning her to be your new sensei for the time being. You'll be joining a team that has hit a couple rough patches. They need, not only a new instructor, but a teammate that will take them to the Chunin exams." His eyes bored into mine, "Their old teacher died for Konoha during the war. And the other kid that was on the team lost his older sister, too. He quit, leaving his team short a man. Do you think you can help Hinata glue them together into a team again, maybe up their overall skill level? Can you do it in three months?"

"Three months?' I groaned, "They're not hopeless right now?"

Kakashi shook his head, "I have their field notes and evaluations. They seem to be ready. The girl, Mochizuki, is a genjutsu user. She plays a pipe, and is quite skilled. The boy, a Hyuga, is a non-byakugan bukijutsu master. Apparently he is an expert archer. Rare. He's a cool kid." He pushed the papers together, and dropped them in a folder which he held out to me.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Read it over. Give it to Hinata. You two will be in charge of them. I want you to become a team. Let your redemption carry over to them."

I nodded, and flipped through the folder. It was full of reports and evaluations. I felt my heart jump when I saw that he'd included mine as well. That would be interesting reading.

"That's it. You're dismissed." He looked back at me with another masked smile, though his eyes were happy arches, "Good luck, Sasuke."

"Before I get totally distracted, is Naruto here?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Shikamaru, Temari, and Naruto went to Kiri to check the preparations for the exam. That isn't going to be a problem?"

"Him being gone or going to Kiri?" I shook my head, "Either way, no problem."

With that I left, and the secretary stopped me, "Excuse me, Sasuke. About your team. The Lady Hinata will give me instructions when she is finished. " She gave me a sheepish smile, "Do you have a number where I can reach you?"

"I'll talk to my Lady later. Is that all?"

She nodded, and looked a little uncertain. I left and decided to walk around and talk to people. The very thought tied my stomach in a knot. But it seemed that people were determined to talk to me.

I acquired walking companions for the better part of the afternoon. I ended up buying lunch for Sai, where we talked more about each other. In many ways this artist had an even worse life than I had, being raised by Danzo. He expressed his happiness that I had killed him and though it seemed an odd start to a friendship I was no stranger to odd starts.

After lunch and the subsequent agreement to meet after dinner for some friendly sparring, I decided that I should go back to the compound. The sun was a shining ball just starting to sink as I walked down the main road back. This time, the lake was on my left, and I stopped for a moment to watch the water spark in the afternoon light.

The gates yawned ahead, and I walked through them, looking right and left to catalog the people I was sharing my home with now. I made up my mind to ask if Hinata had opened homes for them. There were still tents in backyards, and I knew that even if a third of the village had come for shelter, we could accommodate them. The light and life of them was something the Uchiha sorely needed. Especially if Itachi's vision were to come true.

I turned into the walk back to the seat. I stopped dead. Hinata sat on the top of the stairs, her long hair in a braid, her clothing so unusual I couldn't help but stare. A gray hanten, quilted in stars, and simple, wide-legged work pants that had a large print of stylized waves in red and white. She looked like a perfect Uchiha, except for her unmistakable Hyuga eyes. Though I would not trade them for any other color as I joined her a few steps lower. I lay the folder beside me.

"I was just thinking about how to start. I guess I got distracted." She didn't look at me, and her voice dropped to almost dreamy tones, "Sometimes the ghosts here are nearly overwhelming."

I gazed out, and instead of a street full of dark hair and eyes, family and the Uchiha fan, there were hair colors from the whole spectrum. Red, yellow, pink, and green with eyes that could be dark enough to be black, but were more likely brown or hazel. I glanced back at her with her pearled lavender eyes, indigo hair… But I didn't see any ghosts.

I rubbed my hand over the knee that was propped on the stair, "It's lively."

"Strange." She looked down, "But I think that's what I mean. The people are here, but not people that should be here. A fine thing it is to be head of the Uchiha Clan. A clan of ghosts."

I considered it. The people she was speaking of would not have liked her here. They would not have approved of the real Itachi, and as a Uchiha I was a special kind of failure. I shook my head and moved my hand to drop onto her foot.

"Do you want to know something?" Her eyes flicked to my hand then retrained on mine, alive with curiosity. "Those people, my family, were strangers to the Village. Did Itachi tell you the truth? About us?"

"Some. Kakashi-sama shared some things, Tsunade-sama and I spoke about it. Itachi only wanted to protect me from that, I think. He always acted like this…" She gestured expansively, "Was just a temporary thing. That he'd do everything in his power to make the Uchiha name one to be proud of."

"I AM proud to be a Uchiha." I said, forcing my attention back to the fruit stall across the street. A blond-haired boy, he could have been Naruto's long lost baby cousin, showing an equally blond woman an apple. "I think I know enough now to say that everything that happened between my Father, the Uchiha in general, and the Village…" I sighed, bringing back my hand and laying the fist on my knee, "There was blame on all sides. Madara and Hashirama were allies, maybe even friends. But his brother mistrusted the Uchiha. It was him that divided our clan from the rest of the village, forming the Police force that no one trusted." I snorted, the man was amazingly arrogant. "And being raised shinobi, proud of our power, ever hungry for more..." I could only shake my head and regard her again, her bright eyes now edged in pain. "When you see it in yourself, you see it in everyone you meet."

"Then why doesn't the village hate me?"

"Because what you do, the power you find after mastering the byakugan, isn't awful. Mine is hedged on all sides by grief. Pain. Even hate can change the way I see the world." My eyes hardened as I thumped my chest, "I want to change that. I don't want that to be the Uchiha legacy."

Hinata took a deep shuddering breath, and for a moment, I thought I'd made her cry, which wasn't my intention.

"Did you miss your team?"

I hadn't expected that. I wondered briefly at her intent, asking me about my old team, given how we had been talking about our clan. From Naruto, I had, and I'd given him the false answer I'd prepared. With Hinata, and my commitment to finding a better way, I stood and then crouched on the stair just below her, eye to eye, and answered, "Yes. Sometimes it was so overwhelming it was all I could do not to break. Orochimaru understood me, though he never said anything about it until much later. I think, in his way, though he wanted my eyes, he felt bad about what he did to get them."

She had tears on her cheeks as she peered at me. I felt uncomfortable, as if her byakugan gave her the ability to see the real me, the part I keep hidden even from myself.

"The ghosts are real, Sasuke." She pressed a hand to her heart, "In here, Itachi is still with me. Your parents, your aunts and uncles, the people you loved…" She sniffled, her voice falling again, "It was never pain, Sasuke. If it were, you wouldn't have cared about your team. Your power is about love." She stood, "I'm sorry. Maybe that's the hormones talking."

I watched her disappear back into the house, and wished that I hadn't just let her go. I wanted to say that she'd make a good instructor, and that for the first time in years, I was looking forward to being on a team. Instead I stood and snapped up the folder. I would put it on the kitchen counter.

Those meaningless thoughts out of the way, I walked back down the stairs, through the gate, and over to the fruit stand for the apple that kid didn't get to have.

AN/ *Prods Sasuke* Anyway, kabocha is squash. Persimmons look like tomatoes, inside and out except for the color. They're pretty good, and really popular in Japan. The ones I've had were less sweet then… fruity? Not sure how to explain it. I think Sasuke'd like them.