"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire" – Ferdinand Foch
When a lion hunts, it chooses between two strategies.
One; The lion stays hidden behind trees and rocks, allowing nature to cover up its tracks while blending itself with its surroundings. It remains unseen, a silent predator who stalks its prey.
Once the opportunity arises the lion lunges in for the kill. Calm and lethal.
Two; Tactful. The lion scouts the earth for its intended prey, it strategizes while concealing itself, vigilantly watching its prey.
The lion is willing to endure and be patient in order to consume its meal.
King of the jungle.
The predator inches closer towards its oblivious target, eager to consume what is rightfully his.
The lion is calculating and perceptive. Clever and patient.
He is a lion. Taught to kill, to survive.
—S—
The sky gave up its blue, replaced with a dull grey as the dark nimbostratus clouds become evident. In a world of black and white Sasuke appreciates the grey skies. The clouds litter the heavens, warning the earth of the wrath that is about to become. The air grows heavier and thicker as the humidity becomes suffocating. The wind howls, a lone wolf begging for a companion.
Sasuke's body screams; begging for attention, for air, for mercy. His body enters overdrive, barely hanging onto his reserved chakra as he narrowly misses a kunai.
A droplet of water lands on his exposed neck.
"Don't completely depend on your eyes. Once your enemy realises you possess the Sharingan they will use other methods"
His body spins before he moves his head an inch to the left, barely missing his Sensei's fist.
Another droplet lands onto his hand. A crack of lightning flashes across the sky, a reminder of the earth's inevitable doom.
"Depend on your other senses"
For a brief moment Sasuke envisions himself as the awaiting prey who has unknowingly walked into its predators trap. He clumsily dodges another attack, barely matching Kakashi's speed.
But an antelope is faster than the lion.
Sasuke dizzily focuses the required amount of chakra needed to sharpen his hearing. He listens to his own breathing, his heart pumping blood, the slight breeze rustling the winter leaves. He hears blades of grass crush underneath an evenly distributed weight.
There.
Sasuke immediately side-steps the oncoming attack, only to appear behind the masked man, launching his left fist into his back.
However Kakashi has always been faster, more observant. He immediately spins and catches his student's fist, easily twisting it at an awkward angle.
His wrist snaps with a grotesque crack. A whimper escapes his pale lips. Suddenly the low levels of chakra, the extensive hours of training and the new injury to his wrist takes its toll as he collapses onto the ground, landing on his knees while ripping the clothing protecting his shin.
"Tsk tsk" Kakashi clicks his tongue teasingly. Sasuke squeezes his eyes shut as he forcefully swallows his retort.
"Your opponent won't allow you time to recover" purposely stretching out each syllable.
Sasuke glares at his Sensei from underneath his lengthy bangs, his face slowly morphing into a frown. His jaw unclenches, no doubt ready to fire back at his Sensei. Kakashi swiftly gestures with his hand to stop. The boy was beaten and bruised, extra training was pointless. Sasuke was an Uchiha; arrogant and stubborn.
But he is only flesh and bone.
"You did well. See you tomorrow" a hint of humour evident with his tone. Before Sasuke is able to reply with a crude comment, Kakashi disappears, leaving behind him a cloud of smoke.
He remains on the ground, his knees digging into the dirt bellow as he clenches onto his left wrist. He mumbles empty promises and death threats before forcefully pulling himself up when the pitter-patter of rain transforms into a sturdy downfall.
—S—
In order to hunt a lion needs both practice and instinct.
The lioness teaches her cubs to hunt, for they need to be taught the basic necessities in order to survive and defend themselves in the wilderness.
Mikoto holds an invisible burden. Her shoulders creak and her neck trembles underneath the weight but she remains rooted, bound to her husband and children. Silk cover pale skin and lipstick brightens dull lips. The days blur into years but the weight never lifts.
Remorse.
Guilt.
Anger.
It becomes an infinite cycle of self-loathing.
The burden is heavy and the clan are boulders. Sasuke is a mountain and Itachi is an ocean.
Mikoto knows she has already lost. She has lost Itachi to the village, lost her life to the clan and lost her husband to power. She was never given the opportunity to keep Itachi. He was her flesh and blood, she carried him for nine months and witnessed the claws of death during his birth. But he was never hers.
Itachi's body, mind and soul belonged to the clan and Konoha. Mikoto was left with scraps of his outer shell, a persona he forged to protect his true self. Fragments of who he once was.
Time is cruel and will devour whatever it can. Yet the Uchiha clan is ruthless.
He is a puppet, a tool.
Wounds and bruises she once healed were now covered by thick white bandages, hidden from both parents. Mikoto chokes on her guilt.
On the rare occasions when the laws of nature are bent, a cub learns how to hunt based on instinct alone. He hunts and consumes his first meal on his own. Proving he no longer needs a nurturing mother and earns himself the stripes of independence.
Sasuke craved his mother's attention and affection. He grew overly attached towards her and for once in her life Mikoto understood what it felt like to become a true mother. Sasuke humanized Itachi, forced him to crack open walls.
The clan never snatched Sasuke from her arms, the clan never used him as a weapon. Sasuke's innocence and vulnerability was seen as weakness, the second son who was never destined to be born.
How dare they take her eldest son and speak ill of her youngest.
Mikoto could never blame her eldest. He sheltered his brother from Konoha's snakes and her game of chess. Itachi willingly accepted the burdens and the pressure of being an excellent Uchiha, in order to survive in a tainted world.
For years she watches the coil twist and tighten. She sees Itachi building brick walls and witnesses Sasuke drown. She throws the dice and for once in her life prays luck is on her side.
The burden is heavy and her body trembles underneath the weight. But Sasuke is worth carrying.
—S—
An Uchiha is notoriously known for their ability to control fire, their affinity towards the element allows them to master the flames itself. It dances around calloused palms and bursts from clenched jaws. It roars around him, a vast inferno prepared to devour all in its path. It's gentle and soothing at first, a burning ball of crimson before evolving into a blazing forest fire, leaping in anger.
(He knows it's the smallest of flames that conjures the largest of fires.)
Sometimes the flames feel foreign in his palm, an unbalanced weight that feels flawed. The first time Sasuke burns himself, he is training underneath a small oak tree, skin glistening in sweat. The blister stares at him mockingly, a bright blotch of crimson darkening against his pale thumb. Sasuke knows an Uchiha cannot fear the dancing flames, but in that very moment, he does.
When the heavens unleash, Sasuke is in a state of tranquillity. He spends most of his childhood sneaking into his mother's garden when the moon is at its highest. When strands of his wet hair began to drip and his bones tremble, does he finally return to the Uchiha household. (Home is a stranger, comfort never embraces him affectionately.)
'You need to stop sitting in the rain. You're bound to get sick!'
But he never did.
He discovers comfort and serenity when the earth is sobbing. As if Mother Nature is mourning an unknown force and it is only Sasuke who is able to offer her comfort.
Kakashi does not belittle him or tell him that an Uchiha is taught to, forced to train with fire. The very blood that flows within their veins is created to tame the element.
Perfect an element and be able to use it to its full potential.
Instead he agrees to train him; lightning is an untameable creature that will bend and roar under an attempt to be controlled. He reminds Sasuke this, witnesses' determination settle in his eyes.
He is a lion. A creature with multiple strategies.
A piece of china can never be glued together.
Itachi flickers Sasuke's forehead with extended fingers and whispers that he is needed on a mission. The sudden rush of childhood memories floods his mind that he forces his head between his knees, fingers stroking his temple. The contact was suffocating, a raw reminder of the bond they once had.
Itachi disappears for months. He leaves Konoha when she is covered in a thick blanket of snow and returns when she has cracks in her soil.
His father calls him, his name almost foreign on Fugaku's tongue. Crinkled eyes fixated on littered paperwork.
"Your team have a meeting tomorrow at sunrise"
For a moment neither of the two move a muscle, an uncomfortable tension envelopes them both.
Then Sasuke breathes.
"Arigato" he whispers as he bows.
Sasuke knows a crushed flower still preserves its fragrance.
—S—
Sakura bursts into tears the moment her gaze lands on him. She whispers empty promises as she throws herself at him, fingers intertwining behind his neck. A vein in his forehead throbs. (Death was inches away, he does not dare to deprive her of this)
Only when Sakura composes herself and wipes away her remaining tears does the awkwardness settle between them. Naruto is unusually quiet and Sasuke immediately regrets attending the meeting. Naruto is the sky before lightning flashes; eyes heavy with condensed clouds, instead thick brown lashes catch the raindrops that threaten to fall.
His lower lip trembles.
Not now. Not here.
Naruto shifts from one foot to the other, avoiding both teammates. His gaze drifts to the ground beneath his feet and he prays to all the gods that the earth would swallow him whole.
"Sasuke I-"
Sasuke silences him with a nod, fingers crawling into his pockets as he awkwardly assures Naruto that it is fine. That he does not expect tears and neatly wrapped bento boxes in return for sacrificing his life. (What is his worth?)
The needle tilts as the cracks appear.
Sasuke suddenly finds himself suffocating as his vision fills with orange. The aroma or ramen is heavy but there is the sweet scent of Yasmin and vanilla underneath it all. Cold fingers wrap around his shoulders and only then does Sasuke realize he is drowning in a hug.
His reaction is delayed but the action itself brings back unwanted memories.
"N-Naruto! Get off me!" Sasuke grunts, struggling to push off his teammate. It dawns on him that where Naruto lacks in intelligence, he makes up for in strength.
He ignores the Uchiha's protest as he remains latched onto him, both faces a deep shade of crimson.
"No" he repeatedly whispers, the words muffled by Sasuke's shoulder.
Naruto needs this. Sasuke pale and sweating while gasping for breath is still engraved in his mind. Leaves tangled between strands of hair. How many times did Naruto beg and pray? How long had he screamed and demanded to see his teammate, only for his father to refuse such an order.
His grip on Sasuke tightens and it takes all of Naruto's will not to break and sob.
Inhale
Exhale
Inhale
"Thank you. Thank you" he wants to chant it like a prayer until the day he dies. He wants to hurt him, grab him by his face and scream at him. But Sasuke is alive. Hair ruffled by the wind and ears burning red.
Alive.
When Naruto finally releases him, both are flushed red. Sasuke wants to curse him, hit him so hard it would take days for the Kyuubi's chakra to heal the bruises.
He takes a few steps away from his teammate, grinning childishly as he rubs the back of his head. Sakura's jaw slackens, the shock hindering her immobile.
As if on que Kakashi appears an open book held between his thumb and index finger, a smirk hidden behind his mask.
"Family reunion, eh?"
—S—
Unique patterns of ice float around him, each one swirling before landing on the soft ground below. The earth has lost its vibrant green, replaced with a blanket of white. He allows his body to crumple into the soft snow, eyes narrowing as he focuses on the puffs of steam appearing from his lips.
Naruto groans as he drops on both knees, desperately rubbing both palms vigorously.
"You would think the Land of Fire would be warm all season round" he says accusingly.
Sakura scoffs, hers arms wrapped around her shoulders protectively.
A sudden puff of smoke appears. "Sorry I was late. You see, I was walking an elderly lady acro-"
A snow ball suddenly appears and lands between Kakashi's eyes. It barely takes him a second to register what has happened before Sasuke witnesses Naruto's body sailing in the air.
Their Sensei mutters curses underneath his breath while wiping the excess snow off his mask. It takes Naruto even longer to compose himself; jumping up and down as a cascade of white falls from the crevices of his clothes, lips blue and trembling.
"I have enrolled you all in the upcoming Chunnin exams"
Naruto immediately freezes. Sasuke's eyebrows disappear into his hairline.
"Huh?" mumbles Naruto, all traces of humour long gone.
Kakashi shrugs, his hands sliding into warm pockets. "We have discussed this at length and decided the best course of action is to prove to the village, and the civilians, that Naruto is more than just a beast."
Sasuke's blood turns cold. Politics is a game he never wished to play.
"The elders will find it suspicious that Naruto alone will present at the exams. It's best that Team Seven enrols as a unit."
Naruto's posture immediately goes rigid.
"We can talk some sense into the clan members and the Elders. Show them Naruto is an integral part of Team Seven and show that he does have the ability to control the b -" Sakura strains desperately, her pink hair almost blinding in contrast with the white snow. She knows it is futile, they cannot fight the Council.
"I don't expect you to pass. The goal is not to succeed, rather to show that Naruto is more than capable to control the beast, that he is more than just a vessel."
Sasuke meets his Sensei's gaze and something unexplainable pulls at his gut. He does not dare to ask what occurred during their last failed mission. Sasuke understands that some secrets are created to remain buried.
Naruto's jaw clenches as fingers grip onto the orange fabric of his jumpsuit. "Sensei, I don't think I have the power to control it"
It.
More man that monster. The beast is restless, since the moment it had unleashed it was begging for release. Naruto spends most nights tangled between his bed sheets, body glistening with sweat, heart thumping too loud.
'I am no monster. I am no monster. I am no monster."
He chants it every night, wishes on every dying star that he does not become what he fears the most.
Kakashi stares at Naruto and in that very moment he sees Minato.
"You're right. You don't have the discipline to control the beast. It's why Jiraiya Sensei has agreed to train you in-"
"Pervy Sensei?!" roars Naruto, as if the mere thought disgusted him, as if just moments before he was not having a serious conversation about his future.
Kakashi's uncovered eye twitches in response to the Legendary Sannin's nickname.
"I will continue-"
"When do I start? Will he be able to teach me what he taught dad? I heard he's chakra control is amazing!"
"- to train Sasuke on his own."
"Huh?" Sakura asks. "You were training Sasuke-kun this whole time?"
"Why does the bastard get special treatment?" asks Naruto accusingly.
"As you recall, Team seven no longer existed until a few weeks ago. During that time I chose to train Sasuke"
Kakashi clears his throat.
"Besides, Tsunade-Sama has personally contacted me in regards to you, Sakura"
Her pupils go wide.
"She is interested in your chakra control and couldn't believe your stats. She was hoping she could train you prior to the exams."
Kakashi shrugs "Unless you would rather-"
"Tsunada-sama? The Legendary Sannin who can perfrom the Strength of a Hundred Seal?" Sakura whispers.
Naruto arches an eyebrow "Ne, I didn't know grandma Tsunade was this powerful"
Sakura glares at him, eyes narrowing into slits.
"You will respect Tsunade-Sama's name"
"Why should I? She is a mean old hag who only cares about sake!"
Sakura release an animalistic like roar before lunging towards Naruto.
Kakashi sighs before seating himself onto the ground covered snow, flickering a book open.
"Welcome back Sasuke"
Sasuke's lips twist into a smile.
—S—
When cubs become of age the male lion abandons them, forces his offspring to survive on their own. If they do not survive the wilderness, they are not destined to become lions and lead the pack.
A lioness teaches her cubs how to hunt. Once all has been taught, she forces her cubs to starve until they have killed and hunted their first meal.
If they succeed they become lions.
If they don't, they starve to death.
These are the laws of the universe; the strong survive and the weak perish.
Weak shinobis are not expected to survive. The Chuunin exam were created to differentiate between the powerful and the fragile.
But strength never equals to power and the Uchiha clan were starving for control.
—S—
"Do you believe in destiny, Sasuke?"
Sweat trickles down his back, soaking his shirt. The grass surrounding them tickles his skin, the blades sway in the cool summer breeze.
Sasuke looks at his Sensei indecisively; one brow arched.
"No"
Kakashi hums questioningly in response, fingers curling around a blade of grass.
Sasuke shrugs, gaze settling onto the horizon. "Nature has rules, it has laws that are made to be followed. It is not fate that the early bird gets the worm or the hyenas prey is eaten by a lion"
He shifts himself in a more comfortable position, legs crossed against each other.
"There are scenarios, rules. The world is constantly changing each second; how can fate exist if change is constant?"
The sun is setting low, partially hidden by the Hokage's mountain.
Kakashi watches him for a split second before answering. "There's nothing wrong with accepting ones fate. But you can create your own destiny."
The breeze stills for a moment.
"Besides, we are different from animals as we have the ability to think freely. We at least have the power to build our destiny" replies Kakashi.
Sasuke allows his upper lip to curl slightly.
"Are we not part of the animal kingdom?" Sasuke asks.
Kakashi stares at the Uchiha, his visible eye unreadable. He tears a blade of grass from its roots.
"We are not animals"
Sasuke is already in the process of standing up, brushing off imaginary dust from his pants. He is quick to retort.
"There is no such thing as free will in the Shinobi world-" jaws clench "-only following orders"
He stretches slowly before sliding a in a fighting position, Sharingan flickering to life.
Kakashi's mask shifts.
There are two different types of pain; crack and a break
A crack can be hidden by a mask of emotions.
A break cannot.
Neither can be fixed.
He spends most days limping into the Uchiha compound, skin littered with hues of blue while cradling a different limb each time. It becomes a routine.
He tends to his wounds in the confines of his bedroom, dabbing a fragrant solution on open cuts. A whimper escapes from his clenched jaws and his mother is immediately knocking on his door, offering her help.
Sasuke brushes her off with a few 'Okays'.
However his mother is not ignorant.
Between two brotherly cubs, who receives the pact?
—S—
Two rapid knocks echo in his room just when the moon begins to rise above Konoha's dense forest.
Sasuke sighs through clenched teeth before answering.
"Okaa-san, I'm fine" he calls out without diverting his attention away from the unravelled scroll laying on his desk.
"Are you mistaking me for mother? Is it the hair?"
Sasuke almost chokes on his own spit before twisting his body in his seat, wide eyes staring at Itachi's casual posture.
"What do you want?" He winces, it comes out harsher than expected.
Itachi chooses to ignore him and instead makes himself comfortable on the lone bed, eyes twinkling in the moonlight. Fingers intertwine elegantly on his lap, gaze locking with the youngest in the room.
Sasuke's body becomes stiff. There are boundaries and rules, Itachi is breaking all of them. He knows his brother is manipulative by nature, a trait gained from their father.
"Are you prepared for the Chunnin exams?"
Sasuke fires back.
"Can you really be prepared?"
It's intended to be a rhetorical question, but as expected, Itachi decides to snatch it, dangle it in front of him and use it as bait.
"Why of course. A genin needs to train in order to be able-"
"You know what I mean" he growls back.
Itachi's upper lip curls in response, right hand laying on his knee twitching.
"There was a time when you begged to spend time with your older brother"
Sasuke inhales sharply. His brother aims for the kill and never misses.
"I guess times have changed" Sasuke knows change occurs. Only when it's late.
Itachi disregards the comment, fingers drumming against his knee cap.
"Would you like to train?"
Itachi never fails to surprise him. He is unable to control his flinch.
"No" he speaks between clenched teeth.
He briefly meets his younger brother's gaze before lifting himself from the bed, slowly making his way towards him. He stops when he's barely an arm length away, stretching out his arm and caressing the air separating them. His façade breaks into a painful expression. But the mask mends itself swiftly.
The coil turns and tightens and Sasuke feels his arteries constricting in protest before inhaling deeply. He abruptly stands up, avoiding his brother's gaze before turning his back on him, heading towards the door.
Itachi understands.
—S—
"Breathe"
In response he snorts, as if he was holding his breath and awaiting for Itachi's permission.
His brother suddenly materializes in front of him. Eyes cloudy, Sasuke finds himself wondering whether there's an end to his brothers darkness.
"The Sharingan is powerful, allow it to be your sight, your ears and sense of smell"
Sasuke kicks his brother, only to have an iron grip on his ankle forcing him to collapse.
"The Sharingan is able to see the charka flow in an enemy"
Itachi releases the ankle before disappearing.
Sasuke collapses on the floor, landing on his elbows to shelter his body from the fall.
"Focus"
He remains on the forest floor, eyes scanning for his brother amongst the shadows. He senses a movement behind a tree, he sees his brother's hair flowing in the wind, he slowly raises his hand towards his weapon pocket, he's-
"Focus" each syllable stretched out.
He throws the kunai, it pierce his brothers thigh as thick blood oozes from the wound. Itachi stares at his brother with the Sharingan spinning clockwise. Within seconds, a flock of crowing ravens replaces him.
"If you focus you'll realise that was merely a clone, the chakra signature cannot be completely copied into a clone"
Itachi appears before him.
Sasuke temporarily closes his eyes before reopening them again. Three black tomoes swirling. The red stream of chakra in his brother's form is evident, circulating from his head towards his toes, however, he notices the small cracks in the chakra stream.
A clone.
Itachi nods in approval.
"Good"
His brother slides in a defensive stance, head cocked to one side.
"Show me what Kakashi has taught you"
Hours later Sasuke finds himself leaning against the thick oak tree, beads of sweat rolling off his forehead. His breathing is deep and fast. He glances towards his brother to find him standing, craning his neck, eyes focused on the moon above them.
Some pieces of china are too precious to be thrown away, even though it has many cracks. Some are too close to the heart and are stored forever.
Sasuke stares at his older brother briefly before refocusing his gaze on the flowers swaying in the breeze, the petals illuminated by the moonlight.
"Let's plant dandelions Sasuke!" his mother was giggling like a young genin who has yet to attend the academy, almost skipping towards the garden.
Sasuke's laughter echoes hers.
His palms are scratched and he has dirt underneath his fingernails. Yet his cheeks are flushed and his smile does not waver.
"Okaa-san? Why are we planting yellow flowers" his large onyx eyes reflecting only innocence.
Mikoto mirrors his smile.
"A dandelion symbolises overcoming hardship. For whatever you suffer and whatever will happen, I always want you to remember you can overcome whatever the odds. I want you see these flowers and know you are capable"
Sasuke confusingly looks at her, his young mind unable to comprehend the meaning of his mother's words.
Instead his mother laughs, hoping her son will one day understand.
Sasuke blinks, snapping himself out of the memory. He finds his brother standing a few feet away from him, lips twisted in an odd expression.
Itachi is too close, he is either too far or too close. Never in between.
The dandelions sway in the breeze yet neither of the two move.
Itachi breaks first.
"Mother will be worried"
When both of Fugaku's children walk into the Uchiha household, one has visible bruises.
Fugaku narrows his eyes.
Their mothers face is hard.
Sasuke is restless that night.
Sometimes cracks beautifies a person, for each gravel, for each fragment of glass lost describes a story. There are cracks in perfection, hence why imperfection exists. There are cracks on his surface and deep below the skin.
But he does not break.
A/N: Fugaku is not meant to be this cold hearted man that abuses his children. He does truly love them. At a young age he is moulded to become the Clan's leader, he was obviously denied of love, hence he doesn't know how to convey it. He wants a better life for his family but the Clan comes first.