Summary:

Meanwhile in the Hidden Leaf Village Sasuke gives a compelling introduction

Sasuke woke up with the sun beating down on him, but he refused to open his eyes. He had just invested in those stupid black-out curtains and he was cursing at himself for believing they'd actually help him block out the sun from his apartment. In fact, this was much worse than before. He attempted to toss over, to avoid the sun, but as he did, he felt his rib on the tough floor.

His eyes quickly shot open and he looked around him in horror. He was sleeping on the ground, in the middle of the woods, and he was wearing strange clothes. He quickly stood up and screamed when he saw one of his arms missing.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?" His screamed echoed through the forest. He looked around in a panic when a realization struck him. "THE DEMON SHOWED ME THIS VISION!"

He started hyperventilating. He recognized the symptoms of a panic attack and he desperately tried to ground himself, to do the techniques his therapist had taught him, but it was futile while he was in this condition.

He couldn't regain control. Especially not when he felt certain dread quickly approaching him. Every part of him shivered, his arms felt tense, and he had the strange sensation that he needed to hurl. He felt the air become heavy, it was now harder to breathe than before, and he felt hot tears streaming out of his face rapidly. He couldn't even bring himself to dry them off.

I've been clean for years now. He gulped and started breathing heavily. This isn't real. This isn't real. I'm dreaming.

He closed his eyes. "I'm clean." He muttered. "This isn't real. I'm going to be fine."

Sasuke almost managed to calm himself down, but then the figure appeared in front of him.

Sasuke took one look at it, with a yellow aura and fire, and he screamed once more, even louder than before.

The few seconds of composure that he had managed where long gone.

He had somehow ended up on the floor, and he had no idea how.

All he knew is that he had to get as far away from the glowing yellow man as he could.

"You're alive!" The figure called.

"Stay away from me!"

"Sasuke, your chakra is completely gone." The figure stepped closer to him, more panicked than before. "I thought the worst. I'm so glad you're okay."

"Don't come any closer!"

"Sasuke?" The figure suddenly stopped glowing, and he saw with relief that Naruto appeared before him.

"Naruto? Is that you?" He looked at the man before him, he had a bandaged arm, his hair was shorter, and he was far more fit than his friend had ever been.

"What happened Sasuke?" He crouched down on the ground and the two locked eyes. He saw as Naruto frowned and quickly stood up again. "Who are you? What did you do with Sasuke? Where are his eyes?" His form quickly turned back to the yellow glowing figure, but this time its eyes were a deep shade of red.

"I said who are you!" The figure roared.

Sasuke felt himself jump up in fear.

He briefly considered not answering him, but one look at those piercing red eyes and he cracked like a whip.

"MY NAME IS SASUKE UCHIHA! I WORK AT U&U! IT'S A LAW FIRM, WE DO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING! I DO MOSTLY TRANSACTIONAL WORK NOW BUT I'VE HAD SOME LITIGATION EXPERIENCE IN MY EARLY CAREER! I'M THIRTY-TWO, SINGLE, I HATE KIDS, EXCEPT MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS, I'M A LEO, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I ENDED UP HERE BUT PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!"

"Nieces? Nephews?" Those were the only words Naruto understood.

"YES!" Sasuke was crying again.

"Whose kids are you talking about?" Naruto was stepping closer to the man crying on the floor.

"ITACHI'S! HE'S MY ONLY BROTHER! HE'S THIRTY-NINE! A GEMINI! HE WORKS FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAI—"

"That's enough." Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you know… where your eyes are?"

"M-my eyes?"

Naruto nodded. "Those aren't your eyes. Your sharingan. The rinnegan. They're gone."

Sasuke looked utterly confused.

"What happened to your chakra?"

Sasuke's face twisted again.

Naruto had never seen him with so many expressions. He clicked his teeth. "I'm taking you back to the village." Naruto attempted to reach over for him and Sasuke started tumbling back, crawling, still on the ground.

"Stay away from me! You're a monster!" He was hyperventilating again.

"I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to understand what happened to you."

Sasuke stood up on his trembling legs. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" He was shaking, he turned around and started to run, but he was stumbling with every step.

If Naruto were here instead of me, he'd know what to do. Sasuke thought as he ran.

*Meanwhile the Naruto he knew was quoting the opening scene of The Exorcist*

"Sasuke!" Naruto took a hesitant step towards him. "What has gotten into you? Why can't you just talk to me?"

"I JUST DID!" He was crying again. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Naruto looked on as Sasuke stumbled over the dirt, tripped, and cried.

He pressed his fingers to his forehead and sighed.

This isn't going to be easy.

The black out curtains did work.