(This chapter has been edited for better organization and structure. I just learned a new grammar rule thanks to a review and am now putting it into effect.)
I've decided that I am going to keep all my chapters as is. Mistakes and all, so when I finish, I can have a clear representation to show me how much I've improved as a writer, besides the grammar part. So further elaborating the Byakugan. In Naruto, we see that chakra is linked to the soul, as when someone uses ningendo to extract someone's soul, they also consume their chakra, but also, we see that chakra is hereditary, meaning that genetics play a large role in chakra. Also, since women use a lot of their chakra to provide sustenance for their child, I'd say that Minato's mother being a civilian made it very unlikely he'd unlock Byakugan, regardless of genetics. In the same way, not every Uchiha unlocks Sharingan isn't because they don't have the potential, but rather they are civilians. I'd say civilian Uchiha are the only ones who don't awaken Sharingan, but that is only a theory. A likely one though. Again, the only reason Naruto will awaken it is that he is an Uzumaki, and that will strengthen his weak Hyuuga DNA and Chakra. Add in being a Jinchuuriki, and that juuust does it in making up the difference for himself, at least to awaken it. Remember, even with all that, his Hyuuga lineage is weak. Very weak. It will be completely unusable for a long time. Now, for the story, Part 1 of the story will focus on the backstory and the emotional and mental development of the fresh Genin, but mostly Team 7. It won't be too long, I hope. Part 2 will be Shippuden, and there is where canon deviation will start, and the massive character development of our Shinobi will occur. There will be a part 3 but… I'm not saying anything. This Naruto won't be a bullshit almost OC OOC dark, broody genius who has every power in the world, and a harem… but he's not OP tho. Ugh, no thank you. Who the hell writes that stuff? The number one rule for writing a character is… NO ONE WANTS A GARY STU. Naruto will be exactly as he is in canon, but he will have more challenges to overcome and will suffer more. The Prologue will last 1 more chapter after this one, and then we get to canon. I will write longer chapters so that part 1 isn't 40+ updates long. I have decided on an upload schedule. Expect an update every Saturday. Anyways, onto the story.
General narration
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Narration
Bijuu talking
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Naruto Shippuden, nor the Naruto Manga. They are owned by Viz Media and Masashi Kishimoto.
Narrator: We now take a break from the origins of our Protagonist. We will now focus on the origins of his rival, the last Uchiha, Uchiha Sasuke. We know the perception history has of the last Uzumaki. A failure. A failure for what reason..? Well if that was told during the first chapters of the story, there wouldn't be a story left to be told. But even if he is a failure, there is still a question unanswered. Was he loved? Adored? Scorned? Hated? FORGOTTEN? Perhaps only those close to him even remember him? Not much can be said, however, what does history think of the Uchiha? Another failure? Perhaps a martyr? A monster of unimaginable horrors? Or is he the hero who slays the monster? Was Sasuke loved? Hated? Scorned? Celebrated? Was Sasuke unknown? While that can't be known at the moment, the role Uchiha Sasuke plays in the world is unimaginably large, but to learn who he is, and why he becomes who he does, we need to learn his origins. Now, here Enter: Uchiha Sasuke!
A straight black-haired 8-year-old boy can be seen walking towards his home. He has a high-collard grey shirt, black pants, and blue shinobi sandals. He is carrying a beige purse of sorts and he has large, doe black eyes. His name is Uchiha Itachi. Arriving home, once he opens the door, he is greeted with a shout. "Nii-san". He nearly falls back when something collides with him. Looking down, he sees his younger brother clinging to his waist.
"Welcome home! Hey, let's play together Nii-san." Finally releasing his brother, Sasuke looks up at his favorite person in the world with large doe eyes and an excited grin.
"Hey, hey! What should we play?" Their mother, Mikoto, walks into the room.
"No Sasuke. Your brother has to do his Academy homework. You can play after he is finished." she reprimands. At this, Sasuke begins to pout, and he starts tearing up. Noticing this, Itachi decides to prioritize his brother.
"Hey, it's okay. I can always do my homework later. Besides, it's easy."
At this, an exasperated sigh leaves Mikoto's mouth. "Oh goodness. Fine." Sasuke grins in victory.
They can later be seen playing a game of Hide 'n Seek in the forest. Sasuke is looking for his brother. 'I wonder where he could be hiding?' In the corner of his eye, Sasuke sees his brother's left leg sticking out.
"Nii-san. Found you!" Itachi chuckles at Sasuke's enthusiasm.
"You're pretty sharp Sasuke, but…nice try" Doing a ram seal, Itachi poofs away.
"Hey. No fair! You can't use Ninjutsu! That's cheating!" pouts Sasuke.
Later at dinner, Sasuke asks his dad a question. "Hey, Tou-san? Nii-san and I were playing Hide 'n Seek in the forest, and he used Bunshin no Jutsu to trick me. That's cheating right?" Their father, Fugaku turns to Itachi.
"You mastered Bunshin no Jutsu?" At this, Sasuke turns back to Itachi.
"Hey wait! You can teach me Bunshin no Jutsu after dinner!" Hearing this, their mother frowns and reminds them of Itachi's homework. Sasuke groans.
Itachi smirks and pokes Sasuke on his forehead with his index and middle finger.
"Sorry about that Sasuke. But we'll do that some other time." 'It seems I won't be able to teach you Bunshin no Jutsu. But don't worry. One day, you'll enter the Academy and learn this, and it's only a matter of time that the Bushin no Jutsu will seem childish to you.'
A few months later, after Itachi graduates, as he is leaving for a mission, Sasuke can be seen running towards his brother.
"Nii-sama, can you show me the trick to throwing Shuriken?"
"I'm busy." Itachi then turns to Sasuke and motions for him to come closer. When Sasuke does so, Itachi pokes him on the head with the 2 primary fingers on his left hand. "I'm sorry Sasuke. Maybe next time." Sasuke touches his forehead and blushes. He gives his brother an affirmative nod.
Itachi received news that his mission for the day was canceled, so he decided to teach Sasuke how to throw Shuriken and Kunai. After demonstrating how to throw it, Sasuke is able to throw the Kunai correctly on his first try. Itachi decides to challenge Sasuke. He grabs 8 kunai and places them between the gaps of his fingers. 4 on each hand. He throws them 4 at a time. Sasuke, determined to answer his brother's call to the challenge grabs 2 kunai. He places them between the gaps of his index, middle, and ring fingers on his left hand, and throws them at the target. The First kunai bounces off the bullseye to be parallel to the board, but the second goes straight through the hole of the ring of the first kunai to hit the bullseye. Dangling back and forth off the tip of the second kunai was the first one. Itachi is awestruck.
"You are a lot like me Sasuke." Sasuke blushes at the comparison and smiles.
"Nii-sama… Can you teach me again sometime, like today?"
"Sure. When I have the time."
"Promise?"
"Yeah. Of course. Hey, do you know the story of how the Uchiha Clan came to be?"
"What? I haven't really learned about it in depth yet." Itachi stays silent for a minute.
"The Uchiha Crest is the symbol and proof of our prestigious clan. You need wind to start a fire right? You produce wind with a fan. Each Uchiha has a great flame raging inside them, and the clan provides the wind to fan the flames." Itachi doesn't say any more. Almost as if he just decided to leave the discussion half-baked. Sasuke decides to move on.
"Nii-sama. Do you fight for the sake of the Clan?" Itachi stays silent once more. He seems to be struggling with something. With what, young Sasuke doesn't know.
"I wonder… I'm not sure about that either just yet." There was a foreboding feeling with that sentence.
"Is that… a good thing?" At this, Itachi can only give Sasuke a weak smile.
"I'll cook us a feast tonight." He essentially ignores Sasuke.
Later that night, after Itachi cooked a feast for them, Itachi asks Sasuke if he would like to sleep outside. Getting a yes, Itachi brings 2 futons outside. One for him and one for Sasuke.
"Are you cold?" Asks a concerned older brother,
"Nope… It feels great."
The 2 brothers stargaze and let the sounds of nature comfort them. Abruptly, Sasuke breaks the peaceful silence.
"I want to become a skilled Shinobi just like you Nii-sama."
"There is no need to do that."
"Huh?"
"There is no reason for you to be just like me Sasuke."
"And why do you say that?"
"Because."
"Because what Nii-sama?"
"You will surpass me."
Sasuke shakes his head. "Impossible. No way. I mean, you're gifted. Everyone in the clan says so." At this, Itachi chuckles.
"You are a lot like me. You've got the potential."
"What? But didn't you just say there is no reason for me to be like you Nii-sama?" Itachi chuckles at his brother's cluelessness.
"Sasuke. As I said before, there is no reason for you to be just like me. I won't lie. You are similar to me, so that will help you reach your potential, but we are not the same. What works for me might not work for you, no matter how similar we are. And that is okay, because regardless of what path you take, no matter how different it is to mine, the result will always be the same Sasuke."
"And what is the result Nii-sama?" Itachi resists facepalming. Really, his brother can be quite dense at times.
"I thought I made the answer pretty clear. The result Sasuke is no matter what, you will surpass me."
At this, a flustered expression appears on Sasuke's face. Sasuke turns away so his brother can't see the blush on his face.
"Okay then. I will surpass you."
A few years later, a 13-year-old Itachi is suited up with his full ANBU uniform. He now has long hair tied up in a ponytail. His hair is silky smooth and straight like his mothers'. Walking outside, he is greeted by the sight of his now 7-year-old younger brother dressed up in a replica ANBU uniform, and strapped to his back is a quiver filled with arrows. In his left hand is a red bow.
"We are hunting a boar, right Nii-san?" Itachi looks at him blankly and walks off. Sasuke runs trying to keep up with his brother.
"A great big monster boar at that right? Only you are on your own. That's alright though. I'll go with you. You do know, right? I'm a really good archer. We've gone out hunting lots of times." Itachi finally turns around and he joins his index and middle fingers on his left hand. He pokes Sasuke on his forehead as has become customary.
"Forgive me Sasuke. Maybe another time."
"What, no." Itachi then runs off through the Uchiha district with Sasuke running to keep up. Itachi seeing this can only sigh in exasperation.
'I guess I can delay my mission for a little bit. I'll get it done fast enough.' Itachi runs into the forest, and jumps through trees, Sasuke is lagging, but he can see where his brother is going. Finally leaving the forest, Itachi stops on the roof of an abandoned hut in a ruined field. In the field, is a monstrously massive boar. Hearing panting behind him, Itachi sees Sasuke hunched over with his hands on his knees.
"I'm impressed you caught up with me."
"I… I-I've been tr-training." Itachi looks away and smiles hearing this.
'He'll surpass me in no time.'
"So that's the boar?"
"Be sure not to kill it. Avoid vital areas." Itachi distracts the boar, and Sasuke grabs an arrow and aims.
Sasuke blatantly misses. The boar seeing the arrow and following its trajectory decides to ram into the hut Sasuke is standing on, completely destroying it. Sasuke flies back and runs off. After gaining some distance, he grabs another arrow, this time aiming for the boar's left eye, narrowly missing. Sasuke stops running in the middle of the field and grabs another arrow. He aims, but seeing the boar charging at him, he freezes up in fear. He closes his eyes and grits his teeth, awaiting death but suddenly, a booming impact is heard. The boar is squealing, and then another boom is heard. The field suddenly becomes very still. Sasuke, feeling the change in atmosphere tentatively opens his left eye to see what is happening. He gasps as he sees the dead body of the boar, and his brother standing on top of it.
"Nii-san… I'm sorry Nii-san." Itachi stays quiet for a moment.
"You still need more training." Hearing this makes Sasuke depressed. "Once we're back, I'll train you." This flips Sasuke's mood, and a bright grin settles on his face.
"Yeah!"
A few weeks later, Itachi is training in the forest. He is practicing Shuriken, and he manages to hit every target. Seeing this, Sasuke gets excited, but before he can try anything,
"Sasuke, let's head home in a minute." At this, Sasuke pouts and looks at his older brother.
"But you said you'd teach me a new Shuriken Jutsu."
"I have an important mission tomorrow, so I need to prepare," says Itachi with a kind smile.
"You said you'd teach me. Nii-san, you're a liar!" Sasuke gets a glint in his eye. Remembering what his brother just did, he plans to match it. After all, Itachi is his hero, and everyone compares him to his brother. Whatever his brother can do, he can do better. "Nii-san, watch this!" Sasuke runs off towards the training area.
"Hey, don't get too hasty!" A snap is heard, and Itachi sees Sasuke fall.
"Aghh". Itachi runs after his little brother.
Itachi is carrying his little brother home. Sasuke got injured in the forest. A bandage is wrapped around his left ankle.
"You are lucky you only sprained your ankle. You could've broken your leg."
"But… I only wanted to do what you do. Everyone always compares me to you. How you are so smart, and how good you are at everything. I just wanted to catch up to you. I mean, you are in the ANBU and I'm not even in the Academy yet." Sasuke looks on the verge of tears.
"Sasuke. I'm older than you, so it's only natural that I do things before you. And besides, there is no need to rush anything. You are going to the Academy soon, and you'll make friends there. I don't want you to miss out on your childhood because you try to rush through it. Don't get too stressed out over catching up to me, because I have no doubt that you will eventually surpass me." At this, all of Sasuke's fears were eradicated, and a smile grows on his face. Even though he just poured his heart out to his brother, he is too prideful to say thank you.
"Nii-san. Can we train together again sometime?" Knowing what his brother is trying to do, Itachi can only smile.
"Of course Sasuke. I'm going to be assigned missions again soon, and you will be starting the Academy tomorrow." Itachi then looks contemplative and states something to Sasuke. "We may not have much time to spend together." Sasuke stays silent. He is confused and doesn't know how to interpret that statement, but he eventually takes it at face value.
"That's okay. As long as we are together once in a while, then I don't mind."
Later that day, Sasuke looked to be depressed. He overheard his father and brother arguing. Itachi had a mission tomorrow, and his father wanted to go with him. Itachi declined, and Fugaku was furious. Itachi had to remind Fugaku that the next day was Sasuke's Inaguration to the Academy. Once Itachi is finally done with his father, he sees Sasuke sitting in the garden with a somber look. He decides to talk to his younger brother, but Sasuke starts the conversation.
"No matter what I do, Tou-san always talks about you. He never acknowledges me. It's always 'Itachi this. And Itachi that.' Itachi learned Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu before he entered the Academy when he was only 6! Itachi graduated at 7 years old. I am 7 years old now and am only entering the Academy.
Itachi Became an ANBU Captain at 11. At this rate, I'll still be at the academy at that age. When I show him my report card showing I am number one in my class, I only ever want him to say 'that's my boy' to me as well like he does to you, but no! It's always 'Itachi had better grades' or 'Good work. Keep this up, and you'll be just like Itachi.'
Anything I do is always downplayed since I am compared to you. Everyone acts like they expect me to surpass you, yet no one thinks that I can! It's so frustrating."
"Sasuke… You probably hate me, don't you?"
"What?! No! I could never hate you!" Hearing this, a chuckle leaves Itachi's lips.
"It's alright if you do. It is a fact that Shinobi go through life being hated. We are family Sasuke."
"Nii-san I-"
"No no. I won't tell you not to hate me simply because we are flesh and blood. You can't choose who you are related to so it's foolish to say that. The future is uncertain after all. But regardless if you hate me or not, just know one thing. I will always be there for you. Even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome, even if you do hate me… because that is what big brothers are for… Sasuke."
"An obstacle huh… Nii-san, don't worry. As I said before, I could never hate you. You are my brother, and that is enough reason as to why.." A melancholic smile settles on Itachi's face, and this leaves Sasuke confused.
"Yeah. You're right Sasuke. We are brothers… and that is enough."
After this conversation is over, the brothers hear someone slam their front door open.
"Is Itachi here? We need to talk. Come out." is heard being yelled from there. Sasuke and Itachi go to address the 3 men at their front door.
"What seems to be the problem?" asks Itachi.
"There were 2 people who didn't show up to last night's assembly. Why didn't you come?"
"I had an ANBU mission yesterday."
"..."
"Well if that is all, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"All right. But before that, we'd like to ask you a bit more about something. It's about Uchiha Shisui, who died after throwing himself into the Nakano River last night. He was the other person who didn't show up at last nights' meeting." Hearing the news, Itachi becomes melancholic and closes his eyes.
"That is… unfortunate." Itachi then relaxes and opens his eyes.
"Weren't the two of you best friends? He was an older brother figure to you is he not?" Itachi narrows his eyes. The men continue with their tangent.
"And we of the Police Force have decided to throw an all-out investigation."
"An investigation?" Asks Itachi in an irritated tone. The man on the left pulls something out of his pocket.
"This is the will Shisui left behind. It reads 'I have wearied of duty. As it is, the Uchiha have no future. Neither do I… I can no longer follow the *path*' The most talented of our Clan, feared as 'Shisui the Teleporter.' He was a man who took on any mission for the sake of the Clan. It's hard to believe someone like that would kill himself leaving this behind."
"You shouldn't judge people by their appearances and your preconceptions." There was some sort of hidden message there, but it flew over everyone's heads.
"Anyway, we'll leave his will with you. Take it to ANBU and request their cooperation with the Investigation. We have other sources other than ANBU, so if anything is hidden, we'll know immediately."
Hearing the hidden message, Itachi's Sharingan flashes in fury.
"How about being a bit more direct. You all suspect me, don't you?"
"That's right brat. Listen, if you try to betray the Clan, you won't get off easy!" Itachi charges at them and beats them into submission.
"Just as I said earlier, you shouldn't judge others by their appearances and your preconceptions. You made the mistake of thinking I was a patient man. You all just go on. 'The Clan… The Clan…' All of you without measuring your capabilities had no idea of my own, and now, you lie here defeated."
'I've never seen this side of Nii-san before. I-I'm scared.'
"Shisui… had been watching over you for a while now. Just half a year after you joining ANBU, your actions and words have become strange. What in the world are you thinking?" Itachi glares harder at the 3 men.
"You focus on your group, and you focus on your Clan, and you focus on your name. These kinds of petty things should be done away with, as it restrains us and our full capabilities. Also, things that we have not seen yet and things that we do not know yet… It is foolish to fear them."
"Stop this Itachi!" orders Fugaku. He arrived at the scene hopefully before it could escalate further.
"Itachi, you've been strange lately." He continues.
"There's nothing strange. I'm carrying out my duty. That's all"
"Then why didn't you come last night?"
Itachi becomes withdrawn, "To reach the height… "
"What are you talking about?" Itachi pulls out a kunai and throws it at the Clan crest.
"of my abilities. I've lost all hope in this pathetic Clan. You forget what is most important to you because you are not letting go of the lesser thing, the Clan. There is no room for change if rules and regulations, expectations, and wishes prevent it from happening."
"Such arrogance!" Yells Fugaku.
"If you keep spouting such nonsense you'll be arrested!"
"Well, what are you going to do?" challenges Itachi.
"We can't allow this anymore! Taichou! Please issue the order for an arrest!" Hearing this, Sasuke calls out to Itachi.
"Nii-san! Enough! Stop!" Itachi, almost as if escaping a trance looks towards Sasuke. He then gets on his knees and prostrates his head.
"The one who killed Shisui wasn't me. For all that I have said, I apologize. Please forgive my Insolence" Everyone is stunned by his sudden change in attitude. Fugaku decides to bite the bullet and come up with an excuse for Itachi's behavior.
"He's been worked to death by ANBU recently and is tired."
"Taichou!"
"ANBU is a unit under direct orders from Hokage-sama. Even we, the Police force can't arrest them without a warrant. Also, about Itachi, I will take responsibility to watch over him. Please?"
The men remain silent, contemplating their Clanhead's words. Finally, they come up with a verdict.
"Understood." Everyone walks off, leaving Itachi in the street. Sasuke observes his brother still. Finally getting up, Itachi faces Sasuke's general direction but not at Sasuke. Itachi's Sharingan slowly morphs into a shape Sasuke doesn't recognize. 3 spiraling curves resembling a 3-point shuriken.
'What… What is that?! That's not a regular Sharingan!'
Sasuke has finally worked up the courage to ask his dad to train him. When asked, Fugaku let out a long sigh and his ever-present stern scowl never leaving his face. Hearing that, Sasuke thought his dad was going to say no, however,
"Come with me." Said Fugaku with a bothered tone. They walked together and stopped by the docks.
"What are we doing here Tou-san?"
"I'll teach you, Katon, today."
"What really!? Will you finally teach me Gokakyu no Jutsu?"
"Yes. There are six hand seals. Mi, Hitsuji, Saru, I, Uma, and Tora. Translated, it's Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger. I will only show you the Jutsu with the hand seals once, so pay attention." Doing the hand seals, Fugaku takes a deep breath. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu." A large fireball leaves Fugaku's mouth, nearly engulfing the lake. Sasuke is in awe at witnessing his father's power. "This is the key Jutsu of our Clan. I've already shown you the hand seals. Build up your chakra while doing the hand seals, and as you take in your breath, focus that chakra into a point in your chest, and force it out the throat and out the mouth. Now you try it."
"Right." Determined, Sasuke runs up to the edge of the dock and starts doing the hand seals. 'Tou-san is actually teaching me the Jutsu himself. He's finally giving me a chance to prove that I matter too! I can't disappoint him.' While this inner monologue is happening, Fugaku is observing Sasuke critically. His stern scowl was still unmoving. Sasuke breathes in and finally exhales.
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" A small ball of fire, barely bigger than Sasuke's head leaves Sasuke's mouth. The fireball doesn't go very far. At most, it travels a meter before it fizzles out. A sound between a groan and a sigh leave Fugaku's mouth.
"Why did I think you would be like Itachi?" Sasuke becomes downtrodden. "It's too soon. You are not ready yet." Fugaku walks away, leaving Sasuke alone at the docks. A memory plays through Sasuke's mind.
"An Uchiha is not recognized as full-fledged until they can perform Katon." Those are the words of his father. Determined to become a true Uchiha, Sasuke trains all day, and into the night to master this Jutsu. "The Uchiha crest represents the fan that rouses the flame of our will."
The next day, Sasuke is back practicing at the docks. There are burns around his mouth, but he performs the fireball technique once more. This time, the flame is bigger than yesterday and goes farther.
The next day, it's raining, but Sasuke still goes to the docks to train. The Jutsu is tried once more. It actually resembles a ball that time, and it is triple the size of the day before.
The next day, before Sasuke goes to train, his mother calls for him.
"Hey, Sasuke."
"Yes, Kaa-san?" Mikoto crouches in front of Sasuke and applies an ointment to the burns on his face. Sasuke recoils in pain but lets his mother finish. Once she applies the ointment, Sasuke tries to leave, but Mikoto stops him.
"No no. Don't go yet." She then puts bandages on his face. "There. That should help."
"Um… Kaa-san?"
"Yes, Sasuke?" Sasuke stays quiet for a minute. He thinks about whether or not he should ask his mother for help with his training, but eventually decides to do it himself.
"No no. It's nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep. Sasuke then runs off to go back to train." Sasuke trains deep into the night. Every time he is about to give up for the day, memories of that day at the docks flash through his mind.
"Why did I think you could be like Itachi."
'I'll get it. I'm just getting started!' "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu."
"It's too soon. You are not ready." 'One more time.'
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"
The next day, Fugaku is walking by the garden. Sasuke yells out to him. "Tou-san" Fugaku looks at him. "Just one more time. Will you come to watch me just one more time?"
"I already told you it's too soon. I could teach you every day for a week and it wouldn't help."
"No not teach me! Watch me. What I'm saying is I think I've got the hang of it Tou-san." Fugaku sees the bandages on Sasuke's mouth and the burns. He can see the signs of Katon training. He doesn't grant Sasuke a response but he does walk toward the docks.
Once there, Sasuke starts the hand seals and takes a deep breath. 'Failure is not an option.'
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke blows out a massive fireball that nearly engulfs the entire lake. The lake's surface starts bubbling from the heat. The power of this attempt nearly matches Fugaku's demonstration all those days ago. Fugaku is witnessing this, and though his ever-present stern scowl doesn't move an inch, his eyes are as wide as they have ever been. Once the fireball is put out, Sasuke turns towards his father. Fugaku walks away without saying anything. Sasuke sees this, and he is depressed once more. He then faces the ground and grits his teeth.
'I spent days working on that Jutsu. Hours every morning, and getting home from the Academy to midnight, and Tou-san can't even acknowledge my effort. Nothing I do is ever good enough no matter how hard I try. All I want is his approval. A 'that's my boy' like he does with Itachi is enough! He only has enough room in his heart for Itachi! If he can't love me, then I won't love him either. I...I-I hate him. I hate him so much!' Just as Sasuke was going to become swallowed up by darkness, Fugaku speaks.
"Now… That's my boy." Sasuke is stunned. His eyes practically glow from glee. "Don't worry. From now on, work hard to soar high and to bring honor to the crest you wear on your back." Sasuke's previous scowl slowly morphs into a smile.
"I will!"
"From now on, walk your own path. Not in the footsteps of your brother." With just a few simple words, Fugaku managed to quell Sasuke's hatred as fast as it appeared. And with that, Fugaku walks off, and Sasuke is left speechless on the docks.
Narrator: This was the single happiest moment of Sasuke's 7 years of life. That isn't to say no other moment afterward surpasses his joy here, but rather that so far, nothing tops this. Unfortunately for Sasuke, his life will be turned completely upside down in just 24 hours by the one he least expects it.
It is morning the day after Sasuke's mastery of the Fireball technique, and in a secluded area, Itachi is talking to a masked man with one eyehole on his mask. This is the same man that caused the Kyuubi attack 7 years ago, not that Itachi is aware of that at the moment. The masked man has longer hair than when last seen. It reaches his lower back now. The masked man addresses Itachi.
"Fine. I shall assist you as promised." He speaks in a deep, smooth, and elegant voice.
"I am going to help you annihilate the Uchiha because I have another goal, and I would also benefit from this."
"You can do whatever you want to the clan. All I ask of you is to not touch Konoha, Make sure they are unaware, and that they cannot interfere, but most importantly, do NOT hurt my otouto."
"Relax. Even though I could wipe out the Uchiha on my own, it would take too long, and capture the attention of Konoha, which I would like to avoid, so I need your help as well. So then, I will guarantee that I will not kill your little brother. I have no use for a mere child without the Sharingan."
"That is all I ask."
"If you need a place to go afterward, join my organization."
"Your Organization?"
"I call it, Akatsuki."
That night, Itachi walks up to the entrance of the Uchiha district in full ANBU gear. He isn't worried about being spotted, since the district is so isolated from the village proper. He puts on his mask and Shunshins into the district. The masked man warps through a wormhole of sorts. He shunshins towards the Konoha Police Force building. The lights on the first floor are put out. No noise escapes it.
"Who are you?!" screams an Uchiha on the second floor of the building. That man is then launched towards the windows on the second floor. He misses it but hits the support beams between windows. The force is enough to crack all of the windows regardless. A sickening snap is heard and said man's neck is snapped. He is dangling by his neck on the beam, being held up by a spike. The lights on the second floor are put out, and all that can be seen in the darkness is a silhouette and the glare of a Sharingan accompanying it.
Meanwhile, with Itachi, he is killing every Uchiha he can find in the residential areas. Whether they are shinobi or civilian, man or woman, elderly or young, none are spared of his wrath. In the most recent house, he is in, he kills an entire family. An old woman. Next is a middle-aged man. He was the son of the old woman. In the corner is a teenaged girl. She was the eldest child of the man. Upstairs, is a boy about Sasuke's age. He is the middle child of the man. He is facing towards the ceiling with pale skin and empty eyes. Looking lower, it's made clear why. His neck is slit open, and no more blood seems to be pouring out of the open wound. Focusing back downstairs, an adult woman is slowly falling towards the ground. She was the wife of the man. If one were to look closely, one would see a small bundle in the woman's arms. In it, is the newborn youngest child of the couple. Dead within his first week of life. The killer, Uchiha Itachi.
In the streets, people are panicking and running, but it doesn't make a difference. They are being chased and hunted by the ANBU Captian. Every one of them is struck down with nothing more than Itachi and his tanto; their bodies laying cold in the streets. It's not like they could do much against the Uchiha prodigy. Even if he weren't, they still wouldn't have a chance. Itachi is a shinobi and most of the Uchiha clan were civilians anyways. In homes, more families are cut down by Itachi. One by one, each one a more gruesome death than the last. The last thing they all see is the crimson flash of Itachi's Sharingan. Everyone is killed and bears witness to its power. The weak are killed. The strong. Even the children are killed. Toddlers, infants, newborns. None of them are given a chance against The Sharingan prodigy.
Narrator: In the future, people will focus more on Itachi killing the Uchiha Clan over the significance of it. The most powerful Clan of them all, with the strongest bloodline. Killed in a single night by one man. What no one cares to understand is that Itachi killed EVERYONE. Civilians, elderly, children, babies. Yes, the Uchiha Massacre was an insane feat, but the gruesome barbarism is overlooked. Only one person will ever understand the significance of it, and that is the sole surviving witness of that night and the ones who committed the crime.
The masked man exits the Police force building and as he leaves, 3 Shuriken whiz into him. They seem to go through him, but it's too hard to tell in the dark. He slowly turns to face the perpetrator. He sees a brunette-haired girl with a fully-matured set of Sharingan. She is glaring at him. The masked man acknowledges her after he notices her Sharingan.
"Oh… Such fine eyes."
She throws 4 more kunai at him. He doesn't dodge. The kunai go straight through him.
"What?.. No way!" Finally understanding the severity of the danger this man presents, the girl, named Izumi tries to get away. The man swings a chain toward her. The chain wraps around her body, and he reels her in towards him. Izumi struggles to get out. The man chuckles like he finds humor in her fruitless endeavor to escape. He slowly walks towards her, almost teasingly so. Izumi sees the man strolling towards her. She examines him to see any semblance of a weakness. Anything to help her come out alive seeing how outclassed she is.
Izumi finds none. She slowly starts to realize that her demise is inevitable. She can't cope with it. She remembers the one person she could always count on. The strongest person in the world in her eyes. Uchiha Itachi. Her long-time crush. Her first friend. The kind boy she planned to marry one day. She starts crying since she doubts even Itachi could change anything.
"Help… Itachi-Kun…help me" is Izumi's last pleas in what would be her last day on Earth.
Finally finishing with the civilian part of the district, Itachi travels toward the Shinobi areas to help the masked man. Behind him, bodies fill the streets. Just as he is approaching the Shinobi section, his father appears before him. Itachi knows it's not his actual father, rather a Kage Bunshin, or Shadow Clone created by his father so they can communicate. Fugaku speaks to him.
"Itachi… What lies beyond this slaughter? Are you going to show me… a different future from the one I showed you?" Itachi's Sharingan slowly starts morphing, changing into a shape of 3 spiraling curves, roughly resembling a 3-point shuriken. This is his Mangekyou Sharingan. He believes this show of power is symbolic enough to prove a point with his response.
"This is what I see for the future of the village… and for the Clan."
"I see…" That is all Fugaku responds to that. He closes his eyes and the clone dispels.
'Kage Bunshin eh…' Itachi on a whim decides to go to the Police Force building, Almost as if something is calling to him there. He Shunshins towards the building and sees Izumi bound by the masked man's chains. The masked man pulls out a kunai, and it slowly starts to approach Izumi. Itachi realizing what is happening yells for him to stop. Just as the blade is about to touch Izumi's neck, it stops.
"Let me handle this one…" pleas Itachi. The masked man doesn't honor him with a response, but releases the girl, and warps away to continue with the slaughter. Itachi activates his Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Itachi-kun…" That is all Izumi can get out. Itachi faces her and looks her directly in her eyes. His left eye starts to bleed and becomes bloodshot. He activates Tsukuyomi, the most powerful Genjutsu there is, exclusive to his Mangekyou, and puts Izumi under the most powerful version he has ever cast of this technique. Izumi is special to him, so he wouldn't make her suffer.
In this Genjutsu, Izumi lives the rest of her life. She becomes a Chunin, gets Itachi to reciprocate her love, retires from Shinobi life to become Itachi's wife. Itachi achieves his dream of becoming Hokage. They get married, have a few children, and live together in peace. She dies of old age at 80 years old with Itachi. They have their happily ever after in a world of relative paradise. These were the most honest desires of a gentle soul who unfortunately fell for the wrong person.
Because of the way the Genjutsu works, and the power behind it, Izumi's mind shatters, literally escaping reality. The moment the technique ends, her mind ends with it. Her body collapses into Itachi's arms, dying as there is no longer a will to keep it functioning. Before her mind fully fades, however, Izumi has enough to get out what she needs to say.
"Even if it was all just a dream… Even if it could never happen… or even if it would never be allowed to happen… thank you for giving me the life I always wanted with you." A gentle smile slowly forms on Izumi's face, and she then becomes limp. Her heart stops, and Uchiha Izumi is no more. Though she is dead, Itachi feels like he needs to get a few things off his chest for personal closure.
"Everyone calls me a genius, but I never noticed your feelings until after that Genjutsu was over. I guess I'm not as great as everyone thinks I am. This world… might really be hell. I know as well as anyone else why that is. I contributed to the collective suffering of the world tonight. Though I might not deserve it, I wish I could've lived in that paradise with you Izumi. I am unsure now of how to go forward, and how to move on, but one thing I do know for certain is that I don't deserve your love Izumi… but regardless, I will thank you and accept it nonetheless for it because… I love you too." Itachi gently lays Izumi on the ground. He stares at her. A tear forms on his right eye, and leaks out. He kisses her on her forehead and runs off in the direction of his home.
Itachi worries about his final obstacle, however. His father.
'Father is the worst possible enemy for me. A direct confrontation with him would be disastrous. It would be a battle between Mangekyou Sharingan. I don't know if I have what it takes to take him out.' Itachi decides to buy some time to plan for their inevitable clash, so he decides to scout out the district. He goes to the highest vantage point he can find in his immediate vicinity. He crouches on top of an electrical pole with the full moon's pulsating glow behind him. The blood vapor and the blood reflecting the moonlight cause the air around the district to have a crimson hue to it, making for a very picturesque scene. Itachi spots something in the distance approaching the district. It's his younger brother, Sasuke.
'Sasuke is nearly here. I better make this fast.'
Sasuke is rushing towards the Uchiha District. He is worried that his mother will scold him for being late.
"Oh, man. I got distracted practicing shuriken again. Kaa-san will be mad. I hope I won't get scolded too bad." In the distance, he sees someone on the electrical pole in the corner of his eye, glancing toward it to see who, he finds no one. 'Huh? That's strange. I could've sworn I saw someone up there just now.' Sasuke finally enters the district, but immediately notices something off.
"Huh? The lights are all off. It's too early for everyone to be asleep. And it's so quiet." Sasuke becomes unnerved, and starts to jog towards his house, but stops. He sees something that makes his blood run cold.
The marketplace in the district is completely trashed. Stores are destroyed, walls and windows bashed in, kunai and shuriken are scattered everywhere. What makes him shocked beyond everything else is that some of the walls are painted crimson in blood splatter.
"Wha-What is going on?!" Sasuke starts running and turns a corner to see something that will change everything. 'Is that?'
" Oba-san? Oji-san? What happened?" He starts to shake the baker to see if she is responsive. "Come on. Wake up! Please! What is going on!" He looks around and sees multiple bodies lying around the district. Sasuke is terrified, finally starting to connect the dots, but his concern for his fellow Uchiha is insignificant as he remembers his family.
"Kaa-san! Tou-san! I've gotta help them." Sasuke runs towards his home, seeing all the scattered bodies, but his tunnel vision mentality allows him the strength to keep going. Once he reaches his home, he hears total silence. "Kaa-san… Tou-san?" Sasuke arrives home, but the lights are off, and the house is empty. Sasuke searches every room in his home for any sign of his parents. He finds none. finally, he arrives at the last place he hasn't checked. His parent's bedroom. Sasuke slowly opens the door to his parent's bedroom. There he sees his parents get decapitated.
"Tou-san! Kaa-san!-" Sasuke abruptly stops as he sees a silhouette hidden in the shadows. He can't make out who it is, but he is sure it's the killer. The figure slowly walks out, and there is a stone-faced Itachi.
"Hello, Sasuke."
"Nii-san! Thank Kami-sama you are here! Nii-san. Everyone in the Uchiha District is dead! Do you have any idea who could've done it? I don't understand! I-I am scared. Kaa-san and Tou-san are dead!"
"Foolish little brother. You really are weak."
"Nii-san?"
"You ask who killed our clan? You ask who killed our chichi-ue and haha-ue? You and I are the only ones left in the district. You walked in just in time to see the very sword on my person remove the heads off of our parents' shoulders."
"It was you? What have you done!? No! Impossible! You would never do something like this-" Sasuke is interrupted as he hears a thunk beside him. A kunai is embedded on the door, only a few centimeters off from striking his head. The blade grazed his cheek, cutting it. Sasuke follows the path of travel to see it leading to Itachi's outstretched hand. "Nii-san?!" Is Sasuke's alarmed exclamation.
"You won't believe me even after having the evidence staring right at you? Well then, I guess I'll have to show you… Foolish little brother. I almost pity you." Sasuke's eyes widen, and he starts looking frightened as he sees Itachi's Sharingan activate. His eyes change into the shape he saw that day when Itachi was questioned.
"Mangekyou Sharingan!" Itachi makes direct eye contact with Sasuke.
Sasuke is brought into the world of Tsukuyomi and there Itachi shows Sasuke all of the murders he has performed that night. Sasuke sees the bodies of multiple Uchiha fall at the hands of his older brother. Sasuke sees shuriken being thrown at the children in the Uchiha Orphanage. He starts screaming in fear and horror.
"Ahhhhhh! AHhHhhhhh! WAHHHHHHHH!"
"Stop! Please, Stop! Nii-san! Don't show me this!" he pleads. Seeing nothing change, Sasuke starts crying, "Why… Why did you do this, N-Nii-san?" He sees a group of Uchiha Shinobi charge at Itachi in hopes of stopping him. "No… No…" Sasuke sees his brother take them all down in one motion. He starts screaming once more.
"Ahhhhh! Wahhhhhhhh! Ahhhhh!" This time, the terror he feels isn't towards the situation, but the one causing the situation. Sasuke sees in the corner of his eye the baker and her husband. "Oji-san! Oba-san!" He sees his brother's sword bisect them. Sasuke starts shaking and grabbing at his head. His screaming starts once more, but this time is mixed in with gasps.
"Wahhgh!..*gasp*..huugh..Wahhhhhhgghhhh!" After what Sasuke perceives to be 72 hours of continuous mental torture, Itachi finally shows him what happened only a few minutes ago. Their parents are on their knees, and Itachi's sword is poised for a strike.
"Tou-san! Kaa-san!.. Stop Nii-san!" Sasuke's please are barely intelligible as they're choked by his sobs. "Don't do that to Tou-san and Kaa-san…" Sasuke no longer has the energy to yell. He sees Itachi raise his sword into the air, and it swings down to decapitate their parents. Sasuke's most haunted scream comes after witnessing this moment.
"WAHHHHHHH! WAGHHHGHHHH! WAAGGGHhhhghhhh" the scream eventually lowers to a whisper, and Sasuke stumbles to his knees with a gasp, grabbing at his head to dull the pain. Finally, all strength leaves Sasuke's body, and he collapses to the ground. His mind nearly broken, Sasuke doesn't have enough self-control to stop himself from drooling. His body trembles and he can only take in shuddering breaths.
"Why…?"
"I did it to test the limits of my abilities."
"you... You did it… to test your ability? You're telling me that's why you butchered them? All of them even Tou-san and Kaa-san?"
"It is of great importance." Hearing that, Sasuke slowly forces himself to get up in anger.
"What the hell are you saying?" He charges at Itachi. "Haaaaagh! You are out of your mind!" Itachi simply finds a gap in Sasuke's lack of a defense and punches him in the stomach forcing all the air out of his lungs. Sasuke coughs violently, and gags trying to keep down the contents of his stomach. Sasuke finally comes to grips that his brother, his hero, the one he loves most, his most precious person in the whole world took everything from him in a single night. He has never felt so betrayed, nor so much misery. He starts to cry since that is all he can do to react. Itachi slowly walks towards him.
Sasuke tries to get up anyways using his arms, but Itachi kicks out his arms under him and kicks him on the stomach again. Sasuke knows the difference in their strength, and all his rage and despair are taken over by fear. He starts crawling and struggles to get up.
"I'm scared. I'm scared!" Sasuke runs out of the house and into the streets of the now unpopulated District. He cries, tears full of anguish and sorrow. He knows it won't do much, but Sasuke pleads to hope for mercy. "Please!" Sasuke starts yelling. "PLEASE! I DON'T WANNA DIEEEE!" He yells with tears streaming down his cheeks.
Sasuke looks ahead and sees Itachi waiting for him. His bright, full black eyes of the past are now replaced by these cold, empty gray eyes. Tricking himself into thinking that there was a rational explanation, Sasuke tries to reason with his brother. "I-I… I don't believe it! This is too unlike you Nii-san. I mean… this has to be a joke! Why would you only leave me alive?!"
"I have acted like the older brother you desired for one reason. Because I wanted to discover how powerful you were. I needed to find a worthy opponent to test the limits of my abilities. You have that unique potential to become my opponent. Now I've made you hate me. Now you have the desire to defeat me. Which is exactly why I'm going to allow you to live. Don't you see? It's all for my own benefit. Like me, you are someone who could be able to use Mangekyou Sharingan. You too can achieve this power. However, on one condition… That you must take the life of your closest friend… You must kill him"
"That's a lie." is Sasuke's desperate response. Hoping against hope that it isn't true.
"Yes. Kill him... just like I did."
"Itachi… You killed Shisui-san? His disappearance? That was… your doing?"
"I did. How else do you think I obtained these powers." Sasuke's eyes widen, now realizing the true monster his brother has become. He can't even recognize him anymore. Itachi smirks seeing Sasuke's reaction. "If you do attain these eyes, these eyes of suffering, you will become the 3rd living person, including myself to utilize Mangekyou Sharingan. To see that happens, well that is enough reason to let you live. Well, that s all."
Itachi turns to leave. Sasuke gasps, thinking Itachi is going to kill him too. "Aww don't worry. I won't kill you. You are just not worth killing, my foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me one day, in hate and revenge, surviving in such an unsightly manner as this, then, by all means, flee. Go ahead. Run. Cling to your pathetic, wretched existence, and one day when you do attain the same eyes as I do, come and face me." Itachi tries to put Sasuke under Genjutsu, but the suffering Sasuke has gone through that night has forced the awakening of the Sharingan. The cursed eyes. An eye that thrives on suffering and anguish.
The worse the suffering of the master, the more powerful the eyes. Sasuke's Sharingan allowed him to resist the Genjutsu, and give chase to Itachi. He throws Kunai at him, and Itachi is forced to block with his Tanto. Left with little choice, Itachi charges after Sasuke and snaps his left arm to render him out of commission. Fortunately for Sasuke, it was a clean break. Because his Sharingan was so new, the chakra cost was too high. Sasuke's Sharingan forcefully deactivates. Finding his opening, Itachi put Sasuke under Genjutsu forcing him to go to sleep. Sasuke wouldn't see his brother again for many years.
That night, Itachi escaped the village and was declared an S-Rank International Criminal. Sasuke was hospitalized for weeks, and the mighty Uchiha Clan was reduced to a single member. All in one night.
A week later, Sasuke wakes up to find himself laying on a white mattress with white covers. Said bed surrounded by white walls, and himself facing a white ceiling. Sasuke is mentally drained, but he is cognitive enough to realize that he is at a hospital. He gets out of bed and escapes into the hallway. He stops as he hears 2 nurses gossiping.
"Yeah. That's what I heard too. That boy was the only one to survive the massacre."
"Someone said they think he has an older brother. Is that right?" Sasuke flinches hearing that comment.
"Yeah, he does. But no one knows where he is right now." Sasuke then grits his teeth in an effort to control himself.
"I can't believe it! That the elite Uchiha Clan could just be-" she stops as she sees and hears Sasuke walk right by them with a blank face, not even sparing any of them a glance.
Sasuke walks out of the hospital. He then sprints toward the Uchiha District to see for himself if what he went through a week ago really happened or not. Arriving at the entrance of his Clan's District, Sasuke sees caution tape in front of it. Sneaking in the District, Sasuke starts looking around and his eyes settle on the bakery.
"Hello there Sasuke. What tasty treats can I get for you today?" asks the baker as she always does. Her husband reading the newspaper on the opposite side of the stand, as he usually does. Sasuke smiles, thinking that everything that happened was all just a nightmare. Then, his vision starts to blur, and he gets a sharp pain in his head.
Once his vision clears up, his hallucination fades and he sees the actual state of the bakery. The shelves were broken, the glass shattered, and not a single pastry crumb or coin anywhere in sight. No doubt the more opportunistic bottom-feeding cockroaches in Konoha's society looted the place for all it was worth. He then looks forward towards the path he'd usually take home.
It is empty. The homes have no light. The chimneys have no smoke. The streets are barren. And not a single whisper can be heard in the wind. Almost as if the weather is reflecting the feeling in his chest, it starts to rain. Sasuke starts a slow trek towards his home. He is numb. He can't feel anything when looking at the streets and the building, the same way there is nothing occupying them. He can't feel the rain on his skin, the same way he can't feel the drowning sorrow buried deep in his heart. As he is walking, memories of a time that now seems so long ago flood his mind.
Flashback
"Good morning Sasuke! Off to school?"
"Yeah!"
"I saw your brother earlier. He's grown into such a man. He's an excellent shinobi. Isn't he? Graduating the Academy at the age of 7 and first in his class, and he was a Chunin at 10!"
"Yeah. And he could use Sharingan by the time he was 8"
"That's right. How could I forget? That boy is the pride of the Uchiha Clan no doubt about it."
"Of course. I love Nii-san! He is the coolest shinobi in the world!"
Flashback End
It starts raining harder. He sees the Clan Crest that is engraved by his house and the wound and spiderweb cracks it has after Itachi slashed it with a Kunai all those many weeks ago. Sasuke faces his front door completely still. He doesn't know if he has the strength necessary to open it. He does so anyway. Immediately, he notices a faint hint of the smell of iron in the air. Looking further inside, he sees his mother's kind, smiling face.
"Sasuke dear! Welcome home." His vision goes blurry once more, and this new hallucination fades even faster than the first one. He fully realizes now that there is no longer anyone who will ever welcome him back home. It might stay that way forever. Regardless, he leaves his shoes at the entrance the way his mother always told him to. Something he was always very fussy about before.
He goes around to the yard. He walks by the same passage his father ventured most. He is about to enter the living room. The same place his mother put the burn ointment on his face when he was training with Katon. He smiles at the memory. He then hears a noise in the kitchen. He runs toward it hoping for a miracle.
"Kaa-san!" Finally seeing what is inside, he sees a stray cat. A black cat at that. How symbolic. Finally, he walks towards his parent's bedroom, where he no longer sees a door. In there, he sees chalk lines drawing the outline of his parent's bodies. All he can see of his parents' remains is the dried-up blood that has permanently stained the wooden floor. His legs feel weak, and he is now kneeling. Sasuke sobs quietly, finally knowing for certain that his nightmare was not a dream at all. This is his reality, and he has to live in it. The worst part is he remembers every last detail of that night. This is a nightmare he can't escape from and could never be allowed to forget, as the memory and images have been forcefully branded in his mind by that sadistic Genjutsu technique of his brother.
A day later, Sasuke is at the Academy once more. People generally give him a wide berth seeing his gloomy attitude. Behind him, however, he hears kids gossiping about him.
"Hey, did you hear? The entire Uchiha Clan was wiped out."
"Yeah, my Tou-san told me about it."
"They say Sasuke is the only survivor" This is all Sasuke hear the entire day. People whispering, thinking he can't hear them, but he hears everything. Every truth, every lie. Every rumor, and every fact about that night. He can hear it all.
Finally arriving back to the District, Sasuke goes to the very same docks where he learned Gokakyu no Jutsu and where he proved to his father that he was special too. That was the best day of his life. Not much time has passed since that moment, yet it feels like a lifetime ago. He sits at the edge of the dock and simply stares at the water below with an aura of melancholy. He remembers when his mother revealed to him that in private, his Tou-san would only ever speak about him.
"I wish I knew what kinds of things he said to her… about me. Now, all I can do is imagine. No one that can tell me the answer is around anymore." Sasuke picks up a pebble and drops it in the lake, distorting his reflection. Focusing on that, he sees something he wishes he didn't. His reflection now distorted, resembles him. He looks so much like his bro-that man that he can't stand it! He hates how he looks. How much of his br-that man he sees in himself. He never used to pay attention to his appearance before, but now he can't help but hate his looks now because of how much he resembles that man. Thinking about him, he can't help but remember the most important thing he was told by him.
"If you wish to kill me one day, in hate and revenge"
Sasuke leaps into the water and sinks into the pitch black of the lake, symbolic of his heart and mind.
'Nii-san. No matter what darkness may await me, if it means killing you, then I will meet it head-on. And no matter what happens, I WILL get that power. From this point forward, I am an AVENGER.'
Narrator: This is the origins of our second main character. The birth of a new Uchiha Sasuke. A person who was reborn through hellfire, and out of that, was the birth of a devil. A demon. Uchiha Sasuke's life from this point forward is dictated and influenced by this event. His brother, the causes, and the significance of the massacre left a permanent blotch of black ink on the canvas that is Sasuke's life and future. The same way a canvas soaks up any fresh paint smeared on it and it spreads beyond the area of impact, the darkness in Sasuke's hear will spread, consuming far past its initial impact. Sasuke was never the same after this. Every version of Sasuke that comes afterward will be another version of the 'avenger' even if the change is minuscule or enormous because, at his core, Sasuke was, is, and always will be an Avenger.
I have fun writing this. I promise that canon divergence will start during part 2, and part 3 will be really crazy. I hope that you all love my work later. I will make an Omake later explaining my "narrator" as he isn't really a narrator. More like an original character of my own creation. I will update once a week, but if I am distracted, it's because the Euros are on this month. It's really crazy right now. The games on Monday were insane! I mean, how the hell did Switzerland beat France? And why did the Franch team the won the World Cup not show up? Same players, but the team isn't the same. I have said this since before the Euros, but I had a gut feeling Belgium would win this year's competition. I think Belgium will scrape a 1-0 win vs Italy. Switzerland beats Spain with another Xhala masterclass, England beats Ukraine on penalties, and Denmark beats the Czech republic. Then Belgium beats Switzerland in the semis, and England beats the Danes in an undeserved fashion. Belgium then beats England at Wembley. I predict England take a 2-0 lead, and Belgium comes back to beat them 2-3 with a Lukaku brace to win their first European Championship. Oh, and Argentina finally wins the Copa America this year. Mark my words. I know most of my readers are American, so they don't care about Futbol, but I love it.
Anyways, this is Zippy, out.