Sasuke opened the door to Itachi's room and saw that it was empty for the third day in a row. He hung his head and lowered his eyes to the floor and went back out into the hallway. His older brother had left immediately after dropping him off at home and Sasuke had assumed that he had departed with Shisui following their meeting with the Hokage.
Just like always, the young Uchiha thought as he passed the kitchen. Before he could walk back to his room, he saw his mother turn away from the sink.
"I could've told you that he wasn't back yet, sweetheart," she said.
"I know," Sasuke replied, trying his best not to pout. "I just wanted to surprise him if he was." He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a chair. "Could you tell me where he went?"
Mikoto wiped a plate clean and put it on a rack to dry as Sasuke sat down. "I'm not entirely sure myself," she said. "ANBU mission assignments are top secret and usually only the shinobi participating in them and the Hokage know all the details."
Sasuke dropped his eyes and this time, all his efforts to hide his pouting were in vain. His thoughts left his mouth. "Why do Father and Itachi spend more time together than they do with me?" He wanted to pull the words back when he saw his mother turn to him, but her onyx eyes were soft and understanding.
"Well, one day your older brother will inherit the responsibility of taking care of our clan from your father. They meet and talk often because..." she paused then said, "Itachi is still learning what will be required of him in the future."
Sasuke blinked and nodded. "Oh," he said softly. It made some sense, he supposed. Itachi was his father's heir in the same way that Hinata was the heiress of the Hyūga clan. He'd need to learn or get experience doing everything that their father did as the Uchiha clan's leader. But, that always left Sasuke in his brother's shadow. "Does that mean that Father doesn't have any plans for me?"
His mother's smile was disarming. "Oh, Sasuke," she said.
The boy perked up at her tone. "What?"
She dried her hands and walked over to him. "Of course your father has plans for you, Sasuke. It's just that...you're not old enough for him to tell you about it yet. But, he does think and speak of you all the time when we're alone."
Sasuke blushed a little. "Really? What does he say?"
"How much you remind him of himself," Mikoto said, rubbing his head. The red flush in his cheeks deepened now and Sasuke could almost feel his skin crawling and his insides squirming.
"I don't believe that," he said. "Father is so..."
"Don't confuse the man you see now for the person he was," his mother replied. "I didn't meet your father until he was around Itachi's age, but he still had that spark of kindness behind those serious eyes."
Kindness? Father? That was a word that he'd never thought of in reference to his father. Fugaku Uchiha had always been a cold and distant figure since Sasuke could remember, and he'd spent every waking moment within those years of memory clamoring for the man's attention and acceptance. He thought he had finally been acknowledged by his father when he had flawlessly performed the Uchiha clan's rite of passage technique but while Sasuke had been formally accepted as a full-fledged member of the clan, he hadn't heard the words that he wanted.
That's my boy...
"You have his eyes when you train," his mother continued.
Sasuke shyly smiled. "Does that mean I'll get the Sharingan soon?"
His mother gave him an odd, searching look then her face reverted back to its naturally soft state. "Not necessarily," she said. "The Sharingan isn't awakened by getting stronger. It's more...situational and it's very rare. There are plenty of members in our clan who haven't achieved it."
Crestfallen, Sasuke nodded. "Oh..."
His mother caressed his cheek and smiled at him. "Don't look like that. You don't want Hinata to see you with a permanent pout on your face, do you?" The boy went from pouting to blushing so deeply that he thought he'd cry from embarrassment. His mother laughed, put two fingers to his forehead, and then followed it with a kiss. She turned back to continue washing the dishes, leaving Sasuke to shyly, and sadly, smile.
He missed Hinata. She hadn't been at school the day after the incident and fearing that she'd somehow been hurt, Sasuke took it upon himself to ensure that he learned the names of the boys that he fought in the forest. The green-eyed boy, Endō, the skinny boy, Mamenoki, and their tag-along, Chōji from the Akimichi clan were all in his class but only the plump boy came to school. Sasuke confronted the boy when he was alone and had determined from the encounter that Chōji was too much of a coward to have gone along with the others willingly. Not only that, he was friends with the lazy Shikamaru Nara, who'd ushered Sasuke away from Chōji. After he wiped his nose at them, the Uchiha left without another word.
Sighing, he thought about how scared Hinata had looked the last time he saw her. And Itachi's words. If you want to be a good friend to Lady Hinata, you must be what she needs in her life, not what you think she does. Sasuke looked up. "Mom, how can I be a better friend to Hinata?"
Mikoto turned to look at him then smiled again and shook her head. "This day has come much too early for you," she said.
"Huh?"
Laughing, Mikoto said, "Nothing. I'd say...you should really get to know her and figure out the things she likes and dislikes."
"I ask her questions," Sasuke replied. "But sometimes, she doesn't answer."
"Then you've got one more piece of information. Getting to know someone isn't just talking to them. Watch how they behave, and pick up on what makes them happy, sad, or angry. Listen to how they speak about other people. That helps you learn someone too. Then, you'll know whether or not you want to be their friend."
She makes it sound so easy. He thought of Naruto and what Itachi said, but thinking of them both together gave him an uneasy feeling that he didn't like.
Instead, he focused on Hinata. "I just want her to...feel..." Sasuke struggled for the word he wanted to use.
"Safe?" his mother offered, smiling.
"Yes," he said before quickly adding, "But, she's already pretty strong." He remembered how she'd soundly defeated the pink-haired girl Sakura in a single move then reverted back to her quiet and timid self. "She's just...kind. Too kind sometimes to defend herself. I don't want anyone to hurt her." He paused and wished he could've swallowed the words down. His mother looked at him and had a sweet smile on her face.
"It's okay to want to protect someone that you care about, Sasuke. That's what gives a shinobi their strength. All of us, Itachi and your father included, grow stronger when we find something that we want to protect."
"What does Father want to protect?" Sasuke asked.
"As Hokage, his duty is to make sure that everyone within Konoha is safe," she replied. The Uchiha boy nodded. He'd heard the same in school from Iruka-sensei.
"Then...do you know what Big Brother wants to protect?"
Without hesitation, his mother said, "You." Sasuke blinked at the answer and Mikoto had a small and sad smile on her face with a distant look in her eyes. The boy watched as she sighed and snapped out of her mood. He wanted to ask another question but his mother spoke before him. "Do you want to come to the market with me? I'll need some help carrying everything."
With everyone gone, Sasuke didn't have much else lined up to do. He nodded. "I'll go put my coat and sandals on." He rushed back to his room and was ready in a few seconds, however, his mother walked around the house taking inventory. Bored, the Uchiha boy went outside and felt the chill in the air. As he prepared to go back inside to get a scarf, he heard his name get called.
"Sasuke! Wait a minute!" He recognized the voice and turned to see a pretty brown-haired girl running over to him. It was Itachi's friend, Izumi Uchiha. "Friend" though, was putting it mildly. He noticed that his older brother was much more shy and awkward around her than he was normally. Sasuke had never been able to understand it. Until he met Hinata.
"Hey, Izumi," he said as the girl approached. She had a small box in her hand, gift-wrapped in scarlet and black paper. "What's that?"
"Oh, this?" she said, slightly blushing. "It's...something for Itachi. I thought he'd be back from his mission by now."
"Oh." So, he tells her about what he does? Sasuke thought with a frown. He tried to fix his face before Izumi noticed but her eyes were too quick. To her credit, the kunoichi didn't seem to mind when she saw him and Sasuke felt a bit embarrassed. "Do you want to leave it here? I can put it in his room so he'll be surprised when he gets back."
Izumi blushed to Sasuke's surprise. "No, I'd rather give it to him myself. Thank you, though." Her eyes widened and she quickly bowed. Sasuke turned to see his mother stepping outside, smiling politely when she saw the girl.
"Izumi," she said. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, Lady Mikoto," the girl replied. "I was just checking to see if Itachi was here but Sasuke told me that he wasn't. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"You haven't done anything wrong at all," Sasuke's mother said. She stepped down next to Sasuke, and he could smell the sweet scent of her perfume. "If you have something for Itachi, I think he should be back home soon. You're more than welcome to stop by again."
Izumi took a small breath, relaxing. "Yes, ma'am," she said. "Thank you." They shared a few more parting words that Sasuke didn't pay attention to, instead growing impatient as they talked. When they had finished their conversation and Izumi had left, Sasuke followed his mother through the streets of the revitalized Uchiha District.
Members of the clan waved or gave other words of acknowledgment as they passed and Mikoto stopped at a fruit stand. She talked to the shop owner and Sasuke turned to keep watch. He watched his clansmen carrying on their duties with some members of the police also vigilantly observing. The Uchiha boy recognized one of the older men as Tekka, the police captain. As his mother talked, negotiating prices for the produce, Sasuke's mind wandered.
His father's position as the Hokage meant that he was to put the safety and good of the village before all else but as leader of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke presumed that his father was also trusted to consider the good of his people too. But, what if something happened that threatened the village and the clan but only one would be saved? Who would Father choose? It was a more complex question than his young mind had the patience or capacity to parse through and his mother turning to beckon him forward was a relief. The pair walked past the border of their home district.
Sasuke took his mother's bags and noticed that they were relatively light. He looked inside to see two napa cabbages. The boy raised his head and gulped. He knew that his mother often used them to make vegetable stir-frys, which he was typically a fan of. But cabbages in particular were his big brother's favorite food. Sasuke's heart jumped in his chest. Did that mean that Itachi was going to be home for dinner? No, he reminded himself. Mom said she doesn't know when he'll be back. He also remembered what his mother had made yesterday, dumpling balls. His excitement settled into a sad reality.
Mom misses him and wants him back too. Sasuke wondered if perhaps she did know about the mission and if his brother had been sent somewhere dangerous. Itachi was strong though, and he'd gone along with Shisui. There wasn't a need to worry. He'd be back safely.
Sasuke walked with his mother through the village streets, his breath lifting into the chilled air as he kept pace with her. She finally stopped inside of a store and the young Uchiha let out a silent sigh of relief as the building's heat warmed his cold fingers. His mother walked methodically around the store, picking up bottles to stare at the label before placing them back on the shelf. Sasuke grew bored and left her to sit at the front. He stared out of the window, watching as people passed by. In the movement of the crowd, his eyes picked up on one outlier. A hooded figure with light reflecting from two circles on their face. And they seemed to be staring from across the street into the store.
Directly at Sasuke.
The store bells rang as another person entered and the Uchiha boy turned to see a woman with vibrant red hair walk inside. When he returned his attention back outside, the hooded figure had vanished into the moving crowd. Sasuke's heartbeat boomed in his chest. What or who was that?
"Mikoto?"
"Kushina!"
His mother came from around the corner and approached the red-haired woman who'd just entered and to Sasuke's surprise, the two embraced each other. Kushina laughed and turned around to look at him. "Ah, I should've known. I thought I recognized you. You've gotten so big, Sasuke." The young Uchiha blushed and dipped his head respectfully.
"Thank you," he replied.
"And so proper," Kushina said with a smile. The compliments made Sasuke feel awkward but different from when he received them from his mother. It made him feel warm inside.
Mikoto stood next to her and said, "Sasuke, this is Kushina Uzumaki, one of my oldest friends. We went to the Academy together."
Uzumaki? Sasuke's stomach churned. He saw the resemblance in their faces from the eye shape and smile. This was Naruto's mother and she was...nice. While the two women talked, Sasuke thought of the life his blonde classmate must live. He remembered walking home with Itachi and seeing Naruto and his father sitting at a ramen bar, smiling at each other while they ate together. From Shisui's own mouth, the Yellow Flash was one of the most powerful shinobi in Konoha and now, Sasuke had determined that Naruto's mother was also a pleasant person to be around.
He has everything was his first thought but another came immediately afterward. But he's still kind. Naruto hadn't gloated after their sparring match, offering a hand after he'd been declared the winner. Even before when they were preparing to leave, he was trying to be close to Sasuke. Maybe Itachi was right and this Naruto just wanted to be friends. And, he knew because...Naruto was...
"Say goodbye to Mrs. Kushina, Sasuke." His mother and the red-haired woman had turned their attention to him. The young Uchiha came to himself quickly and gave a hurried bow. Both women exchanged a hug and Mikoto ushered Sasuke outside, carrying a small bag in her arms. As they journeyed home, Sasuke could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into his feelings.
He was still angry that the other boys hadn't been at school that day and even more so that everything had happened with Hinata. Itachi's words had stuck with him but when Sasuke tried to understand them, they made no sense. There was no way that he could've peacefully talked them down. Hinata had been clutching to his coat behind him, shivering with fear. The boys had insulted both of and something within Sasuke refused to take the slight without some form of retaliation. He'd had no choice. But now, he felt that he hadn't been smart or mature enough to understand what his brother had been trying to tell him.
But he did understand his words regarding Naruto. Having comrades as a shinobi isn't meaningless. Sasuke would just have to gauge the boy first to see if he was actually worth the time. He could do that when they returned to school tomorrow. It was the ninjutsu assessment and the Uchiha was determined not to lose to anyone. He had the obvious advantage of having learned an elemental nature jutsu that some adults in his clan hadn't, but he'd also been watching Shisui and Itachi's sparring matches enough to remember the signs for another technique that he could learn.
That was his first desire after he'd helped his mother put away the groceries. She'd insisted on making him eat a snack and Sasuke scarfed down the rice balls she put in front of him so that he could dart outside. He thought he heard her yell at him to tell his father what she was making for dinner. It was still early in the day. Maybe he could get in and talk to Father before his day really started to pick up. Then after that, he could get some training hours in. He followed the rooftops towards his father's office. The building's hallways became thinner the more flights he went up until he was on the correct floor. He walked until he reached a door with the kanji for fire on it, but as he got closer, he could hear voices speaking faintly. They were talking too low for Sasuke to hear the words clearly, but he knew who was in the office.
Itachi and Father.
The whispers persisted for a while longer and the young Uchiha stayed silent. He wondered how long he'd stand here before he was spotted. Maybe I should just come back later. I could try to tr–
"Leave Sasuke out of this." Itachi's voice raised slightly above a whisper but with a deeper and more threatening tone than Sasuke had ever heard from his older brother. There was a long pause without so much as a sound and for a moment, the boy feared that he'd somehow been discovered. But soon after, the whispers resumed. The Uchiha boy gulped and backed away. He'd been caught before at the Hyūga compound, and he learned not to overstay his welcome. Sasuke headed outside of the administrative building and walked down to the Academy. The air was crisp despite the frigid temperature, making it easier to breathe.
He entered the Academy lobby and walked past the front desk towards the gymnasium. When he pushed the doors open, he expected to see an empty gym with hardwood floors and chakra-absorbing walls as well as a variety of obstacle courses. All of that was there but, it was filled with Narutos.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he counted ten perfect clones of his classmate flipping and jumping around the gym. They were shouting at each other, directions from what the Uchiha boy could decipher. They made their lap around the gym and the lead Naruto slowed his pace. The clones behind him disappeared into puffs of smoke. The boys stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before Naruto finally spoke.
"Sasuke?" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to train while I wait." There was half a beat before Sasuke added, "To see my father."
Naruto blinked. "Oh, that's...cool?" he said. Another moment of pause. More awkward stares before diverted glances. "I'm sorry if...I...hurt you when...we sparred..."
"You didn't," Sasuke replied with a little edge to his voice. Naruto's eyebrows furrowed but then they settled down.
"Right, because I wasn't trying to, ya know."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing. Just that...I..." Naruto looked like he was getting frustrated and Sasuke didn't know whether it was towards him or aimed elsewhere.
He wants to be your friend. Itachi's words rang in Sasuke's head again. Begrudgingly, he tried to strike up some kind of a conversation. "I've seen you in here before," he said. "You were watching me train for a long time. Were you studying my moves?"
Naruto laughed. "No...well, I didn't mean to, ya know? I just..." he paused and looked away, pouting and squinting his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you when I figured out who you were."
"Who I am?"
"The Hokage's son. My dad said the Hokage is the most respected person in the village, acknowledged by all as the best shinobi we have. I thought that his son would have to be some snobby jerk who thought he was better than everyone. But, I saw how you stood up for that quiet girl, Hinata against those kids. So, I thought you were cool, I guess..."
Sasuke blinked. "Oh."
"That's why I didn't try to hurt you when we sparred. I would've tried to destroy you if you were one of those bullies," Naruto laughed.
Like I did, Sasuke thought. So they were similar yet very different. Plus, this boy was strong, perhaps stronger than he'd shown. Maybe...
"I hope you're ready to lose tomorrow too. I don't know what kind of jutsu you're going to do but it's not beating my clone jutsu. Believe it!"
Sasuke frowned. Never mind. He's annoying. "I'll let you 'believe it'," he said, folding his arms. Naruto stared at him and Sasuke could feel a certain, positive but aggressive spark in his brain. There was something extremely interesting about this boy and it seemed that the feeling was mutual. There was an unspoken understanding.
The two boys spent an hour racing through the obstacle course with Naruto leading initially until Sasuke learned the twist and turns. Then, the Uchiha's natural athleticism and agility took over, and he passed Naruto. On their last lap, the two boys collapsed at the finish line, panting heavily. The blonde boy grinned widely at Sasuke and the raven-haired Uchiha gave a small smirk back.
"How did you get so fast?" Sasuke asked when they were drinking water afterward.
Naruto took a gulp and rubbed his head. "Uh, I don't really know. My dad's been doing a ton of exercises with me for as long as I can remember."
"Oh," Sasuke said.
"What about you? You're really good too. Do you train with your dad or your brother?" he asked excitedly.
"No," Sasuke replied. "Uchiha usually train by themselves and get stronger alone." It was a lie. Itachi trained often with Shisui and their combined prowess made them an invaluable team. He, however, wasn't being directly trained by anyone, mostly because nobody seemed to have time to do so. All of his gains had been of his merit. It was a piece of pride...and some insecurity.
"Oh, that's cool!" Naruto exclaimed. "I don't know how far I'd get if I had to do all my training on my own." He paused. "Is it...hard being the son of the Hokage?"
"I...no, well..." Sasuke stammered.
Naruto raised his hands and smiled again. "I was only asking because...well, my dad's the 'Yellow Flash' of Konoha. He's done a lot as a shinobi and when people see me, they see him. I think they want me to be...like him. It's just a lot of..."
"Pressure?" Sasuke offered. Naruto gave a sad smile and nodded. It made sense. They were the children of the two strongest men in Konoha so it followed that people had great expectations of them both. The only difference seemed to be that Sasuke was not just battling a comparison to his father but Itachi too. "I know that it's hard but, we're shinobi."
"And we don't give up no matter what," Naruto said. His smile was infectious and Sasuke couldn't help but smirk along with him.
The two boys talked more about trivial things from their colors, classes, and food, which Naruto had pinned into Sasuke's brain was ramen. Again, he said that he'd get the highest score during the ninjutsu test which the Uchiha took as a joke. Naruto fumed but Sasuke ignored him, instead turning his attention to the clock. Almost two hours had passed since he'd last gone up to his father's office, and Sasuke hoped that by now, his father had handled enough business that they could talk. Maybe, I can figure out what made Big Brother angry earlier too.
He said farewell to Naruto but not before the boy smiled and said, "Remember! We're shinobi, and we don't give up no matter what!" Sasuke dipped his head and smirked back, holding those words close to his chest as he walked through the village to the administrative building. The halls were empty again when he reached the Hokage office floor, but this time, his father had two guards posted outside of his door. Sasuke noted the insignia on their shoulders.
ANBU? Like Big Brother? He cautiously walked up to them and watched as they turned their heads his way as he approached.
"Oh, you must be Itachi's kid brother," one of them, a woman, said as he stopped in front of the pair. "Is something wrong?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No, not really. I just wanted to know if..." he struggled for the words. "Is my father busy?" The ANBU guards looked at each other and the woman shrugged.
"If he is, I'm sure he'll let you know," she said, beckoning him forward and nodding to her partner to knock on the door.
Sasuke smiled shyly and dipped his head. "Thank you," he said. He walked through the door. The office was bathed in a silvery-white light from the overcast sky. Lord Fugaku had been facing the window before he turned to look behind him. Sasuke froze under his father's surprised gaze.
"Father..."
"Sasuke...? What are you doing here?"
"Mom told me to tell you what she was making for dinner when I left home to go train in the Academy gym."
Lord Fugaku slowly nodded. "Oh."
Sasuke dropped his head. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Father. I–"
"What is your mother making?" The boy looked up and met the Hokage's gaze. "You were given an assignment. You might as well complete it."
Nodding, Sasuke said, "Yes, sir. Mom is making a vegetable stir-fry with napa cabbages tonight."
"She must've known that Itachi was home, somehow." His father rubbed his chin and then sat back in his chair. He stared at the boy long enough that Sasuke thought that he was in trouble. However, the words that broke the silence chased those fears away. "How are you doing in school?"
Sasuke felt like he was floating. In the near month that he'd been in the Academy, his father had never asked him anything about how he'd been progressing or even pay attention to him. But with nobody else here, his father's focus was on him. He remembered Itachi's words. What had he meant? What did his brother want him left out of?
He decided that he didn't.
"I'm doing well," Sasuke said. "I scored at the top of my class on our first written exam and was a finalist during my taijutsu assessment." He tried to contain the excitement in his voice but knew that he was failing miserably.
"A finalist?" his father asked. "You didn't win?"
Sasuke felt his heart sink. "N-no, sir."
"Who did you lose to?" His father's tone was uncharacteristically soft and it made the words roll easier off Sasuke's tongue. That and, begrudgingly, the fact that he'd established a...friendship with the boy.
"Naruto Uzumaki."
His father nodded. "Ah, Minato's son." He held his eyes on Sasuke, searching. "Tell me what happened."
The Uchiha boy exhaled softly. He'd spent nights agonizing over it and had managed to come to a thorough conclusion. "We were evenly matched at first, but I think he was just trying to see how strong I was. I...underestimated him at first too. Then, he surprised with me an attack that was too fast for me to see. He...disappeared over my shoulder then slammed me into the ground."
Silence. A blink. "So what did you learn from that loss?"
"That I shouldn't underestimate any opponent and that I need to be faster when figuring them out," Sasuke replied. And maybe a counter. But he kept that boast to himself.
"A keen eye and mind," his father whispered, almost mistakenly. He looked up and said, "I'm glad that you were able to gather that much from your sparring match."
"Thank you, Father," the boy said. He bit the inside of his lip, thinking about the conversation that he had with his mother. On the way to finding the memory he wanted, he passed by the look on his mother's face when she spoke of Itachi's desire to protect him. Sasuke pushed the image of his brother out of his head and found the request he wanted to make. "Father..." he started. "Can you teach me about the Sharingan?"
"The Sharingan?" his father repeated. "Why are you interested in it so soon?"
Sasuke closed his eyes. Now he couldn't avoid mentioning his brother. When he opened them again, he said, "I watch Itachi and Shisui train sometimes, if I can wake up early enough to tag along." He then admitted, "I asked Mother earlier today too."
"Did you find her answer insufficient?"
"Yes, sir," Sasuke said quietly.
His father smirked. Then, he stood. "Come with me." Sasuke watched him put on the white and red cloak of the Hokage then head to the door. The boy followed behind his father as he whispered something to the ANBU stationed outside of his office and then proceeded down the hallway. His father led him out into the streets of Konoha and continued to walk until the pair had climbed Hokage Rock. Sasuke's legs burned from the trek and the earlier training, but he did his best to look strong for his father.
He was beckoned forward to the edge and Sasuke stepped up. His breath stalled when he took in the full view of the village. It was beautiful although the grey skies made the scene more somber. His father looked down at him then paused a moment. The clouds were a blanket of gray marble.
"Before I reveal any secrets about the Sharingan, you have to learn a few things about your bloodline," he said.
"I know some things," Sasuke replied. "I know that our clan used to fight with the other clans before there were villages." It was part of the first history lesson that had been taught about the history of the shinobi world. Iruka-sensei had dubbed it, "The Warring States Era" and while he hadn't named specific clans, Sasuke had concluded that the Uchiha had to have been involved.
"It's good to see you're retaining the Academy curriculum," he said. Sasuke almost felt embarrassed until he saw the slightest glimmer of amusement in his father's eyes. "There is far more to that story but for now, I'll say this. It is true that our clan warred with others for centuries. However, about sixty years ago, Konohagakure's founders stood here and named the village together. One of them was the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. The other was...Madara Uchiha." His words hung in the air between them but the last name his father mentioned made Sasuke's spine tingle. It felt like he knew it. But something in him told him that it wasn't a name that he should repeat. "I am the first of our clan to have the honor of being chosen as Hokage and considering our people's history with the village, it's truly a blessing." Lord Fugaku wasn't looking at Sasuke, instead staring out at Konoha, his face unreadable.
The boy decided to break the silence. "What happened between our clan and the village, Father?"
This seemed to end his father's trance, and he looked down at him. "What do you think?" he asked.
Sasuke was caught off guard by the question but took time to quickly think on it. Then, it hit him. "Something happened between the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha," he said, the last name timidly leaving his mouth. "If they both founded Konoha, how would they have chosen who became the Hokage?" In his head, the boy imagined a great battle in the center of the village with everyone watching and resisted the urge to grin.
His father nodded. "You are correct that Hashirama and Madara had a conflict, rather, a series of them after the First was elected as Hokage."
"But why?"
"From the records we have, Madara had a lust for power and control. He grew jealous that Hashirama was chosen over him and feared that the Uchiha would end up suffering from bigotry and hate when the First's brother was inevitably chosen as his successor. He left Konoha when none of the other Uchiha would follow him. After that, he and the First had several skirmishes but during their battle, Madara arrived with the Kyūbi under his control."
"Kyūbi?" Sasuke asked.
"A monstrous demon fox with nine tails strong enough to destroy mountains," Lord Fugaku said. "And Madara controlled it with his Sharingan. Even with that beast at his disposal, he was still defeated by the First Hokage during their duel in what we now call the Valley of the End." Sasuke blinked and his father continued. "You see, Sasuke, the Sharingan is a powerful dojutsu that has two primary abilities, the Eye of Insight and the Eye of Hypnotism. Either of these techniques in the hands of an Uchiha with the wrong intentions and fueled by erratic emotions can lead to destruction, similar to the fate of Madara."
"Oh," Sasuke said. A shinobi must also be wise and mature enough not to be governed solely by his emotions or so caught up in his own power that he severs the bonds he's created with his comrades. Itachi's words rung in his ears and Sasuke realized that his father and brother must have had a similar conversation about Madara before. He wondered how old Itachi had been when their father decided that he was ready to hear this story. He shooed those thoughts away, his mind instead flashing to images of Naruto. Then, Hinata. "Father, if Madara had fought to protect what he loved instead of trying to destroy what he hated, would he still have died?"
"All of us die someday, Sasuke," his father replied. "But in the context of your question, had he not allowed himself to be ruled by hatred and jealousy, perhaps his fate would have been different." Lord Fugaku paused and looked down at his son, his eyes searching again. "Have you found something that you wish to protect?"
"Not something," Sasuke said, feeling a fire burn in his chest. "Someone."