Chapter 7: The more things Change…

As foretold by Mizuki, Sasuke and I kept getting paired up for various Taijutsu exercises throughout the following days. They weren't exclusively spars—thank god—and sensing the way Sasuke's chakra moved when he practised his stances helped me better integrate those responses into my own style.

Though we didn't talk much outside school, come Friday I'd developed somewhat of a working relationship with my new training partner. We even stayed a bit longer after class so Sasuke could teach me some of his Kunai tricks. Of course, that was when he had to go and ruin it all.

I'd been pulling the knives from one of the targets, when Sasuke suddenly dashed away.

"Niisan, you're back!" Sasuke shouted in glee, getting his hair ruffled in response.

My stomach twisted, and I was tempted to jump up into the tree and over the training field's barbed fence.

"Who's your friend, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, glancing in my direction.

He was so very normal looking, just some preteen kid—if a little haggard. I sensed nothing but loving warmth from his aura, which only served to unnerve me even more.

"This is Satoya," Sasuke answered. "He doesn't have anyone to teach him outside class, so we decided to train together for a bit."

I was looking at a twelve year old who would go on and dutifully massacre his entire extended family to keep the peace. I saw his lips move, but didn't hear the words. I had to stay far away from this person.

Quit being such a wimp! Itachi was retconned into oblivion. There's nothing to fear.

The internal pep talk didn't help. In fact, it made me question whether Itachi's nature was truly the same as shippuden. What if this universe took his original design, and Itachi was nothing but a cruel, heartless killer?

Someone's fingers poked my forehead. "Does he do this a lot?"

"Zone out?" asked Sasuke. "Yes, but not during fights."

I flinched back, finally registering just who had touched my forehead. "S-sorry for my impertinence, Uchiha-sama!"

I internally screamed in panic. Hopefully Itachi wasn't a skilled enough sensor to tell.

Itachi smiled softly while his aura remained flat. "So formal… Any friend of Sasuke's is a friend of mine."

I mirrored his insincerity with a smile of my own. "I appreciate the sentiment, Itachi-san."

"Ne ne, niisan. Can you teach us to throw shuriken?" Sasuke pleaded. "I told Satoya you'd help us both out later."

He'd done no such thing. He'd never so much as indicated he wanted to hang out outside school today.

"Ah, Sasuke, the mission was difficult," Itachi responded. "I don't think I have the energy for any training today. Maybe tomorrow?"

Sasuke pouted. "You always say that. Now you're making me look like a liar in front of Satoya."

Oh, how devious. Sasuke didn't care about me at all. He was just guilt-tripping his brother. And judging by Itachi's sigh of defeat, it was working.

"Alright, but I'll only help a little bit. No fancy tricks."

Sasuke cheered and wrapped his arms around Itachi's waist—Holy hell how early did Itachi have his growth spurt?

After letting go, Sasuke turned and flashed me a grin. "Let's go, Satoya. My niisan's the best ninja ever. You'll be super impressed!"

Don't strangle him, Satoya. Stay cool.

I took a calming breath. As long as I didn't show up in the most inopportune moment, this arrangement greatly benefited me. It gave me an avenue to receive a bit of clan training that would otherwise be far beyond the reach of a civilian student.

I followed the two brothers out of the Academy grounds, and we leisurely made our way to the Uchiha district. The closer we got, the less foot traffic there was, and by the time we reached the compound's gates the surroundings had fallen nearly silent.

Thankfully, Sasuke didn't let things get awkward. "Ne niisan, how was your mission?"

"Confidential," Itachi deadpanned. "Why don't you tell me about your week instead?"

"Aw you're no fun, niisan," Sasuke responded. He nevertheless went on to give a detailed rundown of his activities.

Itachi listened intently, his eyes affixed to his brother's wildly gesticulating form. A wistful smile graced his lips as he drank up every detail.

I, on the other hand, didn't pay much attention to the content of Sasuke's rambling, mostly enjoying it as white noise while I inspected the compound.

Konoha was generally built in somewhat of a rustic aesthetic—wooden constructions, natural hues, and a good dose of small-town charm. The Uchiha compound mimicked the style somewhat, yet missed the mark on authenticity. What was normally solid wood and plaster had been substituted with drywall and plywood.

I'd spent enough time in student housing to recognise when costs were cut. Was it an aftereffect of Kurama's attack, or a result of ostracisation?

What most obviously set the location apart from anywhere else in the village were the Uchiwas plastered everywhere. For a moment, I imagined those splotches of blue and red were bloodied police uniforms strewn about the darkening streets. Latent discontent seemed to creep from the houses around us, promising violence. Even Itachi's brotherly fondness couldn't overcome the dull ache pressing down on me.

I pinched myself. I knew how many people would find their end in this place, and my feelings were tainted by the foreknowledge. This was all in my head.

"You have a lovely home," I said, Sasuke having finished his speech. "I'm glad for this chance to see it." Before it gets destroyed.

Itachi's face remained impassive. "Lovely… I suppose you enjoy the quiet."

"Ehehe, you could say that. It's nice for reading," I replied.

Sasuke snorted. "You read so much you must be done with all our course work by now."

Itachi's chakra flickered and his eyes snapped to me. "Oh?"

I clenched my every orifice, pausing my steps for a fraction of a second, before casually continuing with a carefree half smirk.

"I'm not really that advanced," I lied. "I mostly just read for fun. Class is boring."

I internally thanked Miyako Yamanaka with all my heart for his published work on emotional expression. Just focus on the kernels of truth. Stay calm.

The corners of Itachi's mouth twitched downwards ever so slightly. "I see."

I wasn't sure whether he was disappointed because I wasn't some prodigy, or because he knew I lied to him. I didn't ask, and we returned to uncomfortable silence once more.

Fortunately we arrived at their home soon afterwards. A quaint garden, smooth wooden patio, and clear pond surrounded the beautiful two story house. It was frankly magnificent, especially compared to the other Uchiha buildings I'd seen so far. Hiruzen must have at least ensured not to offend the clan head.

Sasuke ran ahead, kicking off his shoes and rushing through the front door. I heard a muffled shout of "I'm home" and sensed some amusement coming from Itachi who still stood beside me.

Was I supposed to go inside too? Itachi certainly wasn't making a move.

"Itachi-san, will we be training here, or do you prefer some other spot?"

"Here. Sasuke will be back soon, I'm sure. He is likely speaking to our mother." Following his explanation, Itachi languidly strode around the building to the backyard, not bothering to check whether I followed him.

I could have just left right then and escaped Itachi's discerning gaze. It was unlikely anyone would stop me. Sasuke might be angry, but I could always tell him I'd forgotten about something important.

My legs felt like lead as I stiffly followed behind.

True to his word, Itachi taught us the bare minimum technique required to throw shuriken—which Sasuke already knew—and then showed off a few exemplary throws with scores of shuriken, flawlessly nailing a whole range of targets.

While I struggled to not cut myself when flicking my wrist, Sasuke easily replicated Itachi's feat of hitting multiple targets with a single volley. Did this kid already have the Sharingan unlocked or what!?

Sasuke, of course, immediately begged for more advanced tricks to copy, but Itachi refused, citing his "tiredness". It was amusing to watch Sasuke desperately tug at his brother's shirt. The kid lost all sense of decorum around his family.

"Oi oi, what's this?" I looked up to see someone's dark silhouette against the evening sun's glare. "I hear my dear friend's returned from active duty and come to find him under attack by a chibi fiend!"

Following his statement, the visitor hopped down from the residence's border walls into the grassy field below. A teasing smirk plastered on his face, black eyes stared into Itachi's own. "Shall I save you?"

Itachi chuckled. "No need, Shisui."

I choked on my spit. Both because of Itachi's show of emotion and because of just who this was.

"Seems this little man has already heard of my heroic feats," Shisui said, slapping me on the back. "You one of Sasuke's classmates?"

Contrary to Itachi's, Shisui's aura radiated warmth. He was so welcoming, so bizarrely pure. People usually displayed slight perturbations in their emotions. Shisui had none.

"Indeed I am, Shisui-sama," I replied, bowing my head. "Itachi-san allowed me to train under his supervision."

Shisui's smirk widened. "Sama, heh. Did you hear that, Itachi? He already knows which of us is more respectable."

"No way!" Sasuke exclaimed. "Itachi is way more respectable. You're too weird."

I felt an odd sense of déjà vu when Shisui grasped his chest in mock pain. "Your words wound me, Sasuke. Don't you think someone so much stronger and wiser than—"

"My brother's way stronger than you!" Sasuke interrupted, twisting to look back at Itachi, "Right, niisan?"

"Well, that's a bit…" Itachi trailed off.

Shisui chuckled and stage-whispered to me, "He's too shy to refute it, but you know the truth, don't you?"

I raised my hands. "Oh no, don't rope me into this. I've never even seen the two of you fight."

Shisui tapped his foot. "I think our poor little Itachi is a bit too tired for a spar, but why don't I show off a bit."

The alien sensation of an activated dojutsu washed over me. Shisui flickered and for a split second my sight was filled with a horde of afterimages, all of which seemed to simultaneously launch kunai into one of the targets.

He grinned. "How was that?"

"I have no frame of reference to compare it to," I honestly replied. "Itachi hasn't exactly shown off to the same degree."

"Bah, then what did he show you?" Shisui asked. "I assume you and Sasuke were training earlier?"

My cheeks heated a bit at that. "Well, he showed us how to throw shuriken, but it's my first time so…"

Shisui raised his hand to cut me off. "Just show me."

I did, and Shisui frowned. "What's your name?"

"Satoya Ibui."

His frown disappeared and he raised his eyebrows. "No clan affiliation?"

"No, I'm an orphan," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Shisui grimaced for a moment before turning it into a reassuring smile. "In that case your technique isn't half bad. Here let me show you…"

Shisui's attempts to teach me spurred Itachi on to finally relent and put more effort into teaching his brother, and the two friends wound up competing to see who could achieve better results.

Itachi obviously won since Sasuke was so far beyond me, though Shisui would have doubtlessly kept drilling me had Mikoto not intervened to announce dinner was ready. She even offered for me to stay for the meal.

"Many apologies, Mikoto-sama. I always cook and eat dinner together with my next-door neighbour. I wouldn't want him to worry about where I am."

Her expression turned brittle. "I see, that's a shame. If you ever find the time, you're welcome to visit." She glanced at her two sons. "I'm glad to see Sasuke opening up to his peers."

More like coercing them in order to spend more time with his brother…

I suppressed my cynicism. "Thank you, I will keep it in mind."

I was patted on the back. "You better! Once I'm done with you, you'll be the best thrown weapons specialist out there," Shisui declared.

"I doubt it,"—there are better things to work on—"but thanks for the vote of confidence."

He shook his head. "Maybe we should work on those self esteem issues next?"

I scoffed. "I'm just being realistic. Anyway, I need to go now, so,"—I stepped back and bowed to the crowd—"thank you for your hospitality, and see you Monday, Sasuke."

I was a lot more relaxed on my way home than on the way into the district. The standard police shifts were ending, and the streets were somewhat more populated than before. I may have gotten the occasional odd glance, but I much preferred them over Itachi's scrupulous stares.

Naruto was waiting for me expectantly by the time I finally arrived at the apartment.

"Where were you for so long?" he asked, pouting. "You said you'd teach me to make dumplings today."

I winced. "I was at Sasuke's house. His brother taught us."

Naruto grumbled. "What's so great about Sasuke anyway? I can train with you too, ya know?"

"Hey, it's not my fault Mizuki keeps pairing me up with him," I reasoned, though that was only part of it.

In truth I hadn't been training with Naruto as much as before, because Sasuke provided an extreme challenge. I had to push myself as hard as I could if I wanted to survive and thrive.

"Then next time I'll yell at him until he pairs us up! I got a lot better since our last spar."

I sighed. "You know, maybe I could just ask Sasuke if you—"

Shut up Satoya, don't keep messing up canon relationships!

It was too late. Naruto had already perked up. "Yeah! I'll show that bastard I'm a way better sparring partner."

"Perfect," I replied.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Was that sarcastic?"

"It wasn't meant to sound that way. Feel free to ask him next week," I said, dodging the question. "Why don't we start on dinner? You must be starving by now."

My sudden topic shift did a good job distracting Naruto and our remaining evening was spent amicably chatting and eating. To my disappointment, I hadn't made him drop the issue entirely.

The following Monday marked the beginning of Naruto and Sasuke's bitter rivalry. Only now, instead of a general cry for attention—as it had been originally—Naruto seemingly did out of jealousy.

Some things seemed fated to happen, regardless of my interference.

As days turned into months, both my own and my friends' skills improved at a steady pace and I found myself very much enjoying our afternoon classes. Sadly, our mornings were still filled with only theory.

Math was nothing special I hadn't learned long ago, history was full of propaganda painting Konoha as a village without flaws, and Japanese was completely and utterly superfluous. I usually just spent that class creating manga versions of stories I remembered from earth—my friends quite enjoyed those.

At least we'd finally been introduced to Iruka and started working on Ninjutsu a few weeks ago. His guidance was truly a blessing, because no matter how helpful my clan friends tried to be, none of them quite understood my struggles.

I wasn't some prodigy. My intrinsic chakra control merely reached the level of cannon fodder background characters—worse even, thanks to my hypersensitivity and the size of my reserves. I needed someone like Iruka who understood what it meant to be average.

Even Shisui, as nice as his tutelage had been, failed to place himself in the shoes of someone not naturally skilled. I still wasn't sure why he even bothered training me; he never gave straight answers.

"What a chore," I mumbled, finally dragging myself from both my thoughts and my bed.

Breakfast, as usual, was a nice warm bowl of porridge and three bags worth of black tea with milk—seven year olds weren't allowed to buy coffee. Once finished, I smacked my lips in satisfaction and trudged to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I spent a moment admiring my reflection.

Sharp jaw, slanted eyes, pale skin. I honestly looked like the most Uchiha-esque non-Uchiha I'd ever seen. My black, unkempt hair looked quite a lot like Shisui's, now that I thought of it. Maybe that was the reason he helped train me.

I spat. I should probably cut it soon. It'd taken so long for me to quit looking like a reanimated corpse, I wouldn't want to risk once again reminding people of a dead man.

I dug my fingernails into my palm and hissed out in annoyance and pain. Nothing had happened yet. I could still warn—

The nails drew blood. Shut up! No warnings, no matter how sly you think you are. Shisui and Itachi are both clever. If they notice you know more than you should… Hell, you might as well just walk yourself straight into T&I before getting shipped into an early grave.

I listlessly stared back up at my reflection. As I rinsed my bleeding hand. Every day the same debates, the same internal fighting.

And every day the same conclusion.

Let the Uchiha deal with their own problems.

It wasn't my place to change their destiny. I bandaged my hand and slammed the door shut behind me as I left the apartment.

The morning was spent on autopilot, studying my own reading material just as had been routine for a long while now. It wasn't until lunch came around that I noticed something was different today.

"Hey Ino, any idea where Sasuke is?" I asked. She and her posse—Sakura included—sat with us for lunch today thanks to Choji and Shikamaru. Clan politics, bleugh.

"He's been missing all day," Ino said between bites, pouting.

"What, you wanna join the fan club, Satoya?" chortled Akuma, inadvertently making Naruto bristle like an angry cat.

"Of course. Why do you think I have a dedicated shrine in my bedroom?" I paused for laughs, but none were forthcoming. "Ahem, anyway I'm just worried I'll miss out on another Naruto versus Sasuke showdown."

Ino snorted in derision. "You mean beatdown."

"Hey! I almost beat him last time," Naruto argued. "I bet he stayed home because he was too scared for a rematch."

Predictably, the Sasuke fanclub burst into laughter. Akuma, Yuu and Kiba laughed too, though probably for a different reason. I would have joined in, were I not truly worried about Sasuke's whereabouts.

"I'm sure he's fine, Satoya," Naruto said, suddenly serious. "He might just have a cold or something. No need to worry."

I still felt uneasy. "Yeah, you're probably right…"

He was not.

After Taijutsu class ended, I saw Sasuke and Mikoto standing outside the Academy gate. They were waiting for me.

Shisui was dead.

At first, I'd been surprised to be invited to his funeral. However, it quickly became apparent just how popular Shisui had been, both inside and outside the Uchiha clan.

Many rows of people had come to pay their respects and grieve for their comrade. From what I could tell, most people were nameless extras, though there were a couple obvious standouts—silver hair, someone chewing on a senbon, a Hokage hat.

Fugaku was the first person to step up to the podium. Strange, what about Shisui's family?

"To start, I would like to thank everyone for coming here. Shisui Uchiha had been a dear friend, and an inspiration to us all. Even at a young age, I noticed that…" Fugaku's voice faded as I picked up something vile—Danzo.

What was he doing here? He didn't deserve an invite. He was the reason for all of this. My throat itched with the urge to scream. To announce that monster's injustices to all the world. To walk up to his withered, wrinkly old body and tear the stupid bandage from his face.

I took a step forward, but my muscles seized up. A crushing weight settled around my entire body. I couldn't go through with it. Speaking up now would be suicide. It might spark the Uchiha coup right this instant. It could destroy the entire village.

I grit my teeth and tears dripped down my cheeks. If I had the ability to awaken the Sharingan this might have been the moment. I'm sorry, Shisui. I'm too weak.

I sensed familiar red eyes upon me, and turned to meet Itachi's gaze. Grief, shock, and worry radiated off him—the first clean read I'd ever gotten on his emotions. Sasuke, standing between the two of us, wrapped his arms around both Itachi's and mine.

Fugaku's speech was followed up by another from Hiruzen, and a final one by who must have been Shisui's mother. I was glad that Danzo wasn't among the speakers, else I would have lost my composure entirely.

When the service ended and the guests began leaving the premises to return to their daily lives, Itachi confronted me. He still felt disturbed, but his emotions were far more in control than earlier.

"Satoya-kun, don't do anything rash," he advised.

My eyes narrowed. "I don't want to hear that from you."

I tried walking off, but he grabbed my arm and stared me down. "I think it's best if you stay away from the compound from now on."

A harsh, humourless laugh escaped my throat. "What, so I don't end up like Shisui?"

Shut up Satoya! Do you have a death wish!?

Itachi made an annoyed sound. "Whatever you think you know, you don't want any part in this."

I was lucky Itachi was so soft. He could have killed me for that slipup.

"Okay fine," I relented. The words tasted like ash in my mouth.

Despite my agreement, the same thoughts kept circling my mind over and over that night. I allowed this to happen. If I had just warned someone—told Shisui about Danzo. If I'd gone to speak with him as soon as I heard he came back from a mission…

This wasn't just a story anymore. This was real. And I'd knowingly let a friend die. I'd let an innocent adolescent get driven to suicide by a power hungry old man. And now I was planning on letting another friend's entire extended family get massacred.

What kind of monster was I to let such a thing happen? I may not have been able to stop it, but I should have at least been trying! I should have gone straight to the Hokage's office, regardless of Itachi's warning.

Sasuke didn't deserve to live the next ten years full of hatred. Even if it turned out well in the long term, the ends didn't justify the means. It was a matter of common decency.

You idiot, you think you can just plan out some grand strategy to save the world? To ensure it all goes so much more smoothly than the original timeline? How arrogant a person believes themselves capable of such a task?

How heartless a person wouldn't even be willing to try?

My eyes shot open and I rose up to a sitting position, tensely clutching my bedsheets. I dearly wanted to shift off the bed, but… I was stuck.

What would I really do? Walk up to Hiruzen and tell him his longtime friend betrayed the village? What evidence did I have? Danzo probably hadn't even implanted Shisui's eye yet.

You're just a nameless background character. Stick out, and you die. Do as Itachi advised, just stay out of it.

Every time I made any move to stand up, I heard those same belittling thoughts. My possible death kept flashing before my eyes. When I finally sunk back down in defeat, it felt like the bed was swallowing me up—as though I was sinking deep below the surface of a vast, empty ocean. Suffocating.

There was no escaping it. I was a hollowed out shell, only going through the motions, stuck in a waking dream. Every day was spent mechanically honing my skills, hammering at metal, and nothing much else.

Every day, assuring Naruto and my other friends that nothing was wrong and I was fine.

Every day, waiting for the inevitable.

When destiny finally came to pass, it took me most of the way to school before the hushed voices and closed down shops even entered my notice. One could practically taste the uneasiness in the air, even ignoring my aura sense. My pace quickened threefold.

The classroom's atmosphere was not much better. Many students looked confused and worried, while a select few—mainly my friends—were deeply distraught.

I feigned ignorance. "Guys what's wrong with everybody? Did something happen?"

Choji spoke up in an uncharacteristically sombre tone. "It's Sasuke. He.. his clan was... it's gone. I heard from my mother when she brought me to school."

Finally, sweet release. I suppressed the urge to sigh in relief. "Oh thank goodness."

That should not have been spoken aloud.

"I mean, it's awful of course. But I thought we might be about to enter a war or something… Better a known tragedy than an unknown one," I reasoned.

Judging by my friends' reactions, the attempt at defusing the situation didn't work out.

"How can you say that!?" Naruto barked. "Sasuke lost his entire family, and you're glad?"

How bizarre. Of all people, Naruto seemed the least likely of all to lash out at me.

Genuine agitation laced my words. "No! Gosh I cannot believe what you're insinuating here. I'm not glad about it, just relieved that I don't need to worry about anything else happening."

Naruto gnashed his teeth. "The Satoya I know wouldn't say something so heartless."

My eyes swept across my gathered friends, waiting for one of them to come to my defence. None did.

A laugh escaped me. "What do you mean, Naruto? I'm just being pragmatic."

Naruto's fist smashed into my chin and I was propelled a few feet off the ground, crashing onto the floor and tumbling down a few stairs. I'd sensed his aggression spike, but hadn't cared to react. Part of me knew I deserved that punch.

For a while I just stayed there on the floor, blankly staring up at the beige classroom ceiling, debating whether I was motivated enough to stand back up and face my friends. I heard the group berating Naruto's action and could imagine his shock at having landed such an effective blow.

I was eventually picked up by Choji—likely prodded into action by Shikamaru—and helped back into a seat.

The classroom's door swung open a moment later, and an uncharacteristically gloomy Iruka entered the room. I'd seen him angry and exasperated plenty of times, but his sullen expression did not befit the man in the slightest.

"Please settle down everyone," he said, stopping behind his desk. "For those of you who haven't heard about it from your parents or classmates, I have some bad news to report.

The Uchiha compound was attacked last night. Your classmate, Sasuke Uchiha, is the only survivor," Iruka explained, pausing to let the information sink in. "And to preempt the spread of nonsensical rumours, the perpetrator of the event is already known. It was none other than one Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's brother."

I could sense the statement's impact spreading through the room like a tidal wave as multiple eyes and mouths opened in shock, even among our group. I supposed the perpetrator may not have been known to all of them before now.

Wait a minute, didn't team 7 act all surprised when Sasuke told them about his tragic backstory? What the hell Kishimoto?

I severely doubted this is a change I caused. Either Naruto was an idiot and just forgot this information, or it was a shoehorned infodump in the Manga. Though I assumed the latter, it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Soon Sasuke would return as the broody, borderline psychotic character we all knew and loved.

As I fought the urge to punch myself for that thought, Iruka added a closing statement. "Sasuke-kun will also be spending the next few days in medical care. I believe it is for the best not to speak of the incident when he returns to the academy."

Mere seconds later the classroom broke out into chatter as many seemed to think Iruka meant for us to get all the gossip out of our systems before Sasuke came back. Iruka's brow was twitching and it looked like his head was just about ready to grow three sizes.

Shikamaru raised his hand before it came to that. "Sensei, could you help bring Satoya to the nurse's office? He stumbled on the stairs earlier."

Iruka glanced around the room and gave a defeated sigh, "Everyone, today will be self study. Come to me later if you have any questions!" He must have determined the time it'd take to calm everybody down wasn't worth it.

"Satoya, Shikamaru, let's go."

The nurse seemed peeved at our arrival. My wounds weren't exactly worth treatment. However, the emotional shock any normal kid would have felt about having their friend's family massacred was pitiful enough for her to relent and let me sleep off some of my distress.

With the weight of foreknowledge momentarily lifted from my shoulders, I drifted off in record time.