Chapter Seven: Choice

Sasuke stared at the piece of cloth in his hands, silent as he soaked up everything his mother and brother had just told him. They were sitting in the training room of Sakura's home, left alone with the reassurance that they would just be a shout away. Sasuke knew that they were really hiding behind the door, and he couldn't help but smile at the thought. They were so protective of him, Sakura more so, which was understandable. He was part of their family now, forever and always, and they would always be there for him.

But he was still an Uchiha.

And he had a choice to make - go back with his mother and brother, stay a member of the clan that had made it clear they didn't think him as a person, or...or stay here, with his best friends, his idol (and father figure), and take up the Haruno name and move towards a future where he had to only face one expectation: be Sasuke.

And that was why he was holding a simple piece of fabric, with the choice of the century to make.

It was such a simple thing, the cloth. It was the same color as is normal attire; black. But what was different was the symbol. It was a white circle, formed by the body of a dragon circling itself and biting its tail.

The symbol on his back burned.

It represented everything he was.

It represented everything he would ever be.

It represented everything he would ever achieve.

And it burned, burned, burned him.

Sasuke chanced a glance up at his mother, who sat proudly in front of him, her features soft and open. His brother next to her, resigned and closed off. But Sasuke could see that there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. He wondered what that hope was for. Was for him to toss aside his friends and return? Or was it for him to choose his own path and make his destiny? Sasuke truly hoped it was the latter, as he let the cloth go and moved.

He tore his shirt off of him, and while everything in him wanted to toss it across the room, he knew that wouldn't be kind to his family. So instead, he neatly folded it and placed it gently in front of him. Then he picked the cloth back up, and let it unfold. It was a simple black t-shirt, the collar normal and civilian like. But the material was a fire retardant silk. It felt soft in his hands. And it weighed heavily in his heart.

Was he truly going to do this?

Yes, he thought, I will make my own path. I will make Sakura, and Naruto, proud. I will make Haji-san proud. I will make my family proud.

He quickly pulled the shirt on, and the heaviness in his heart disappeared as the shirt settled. It felt cool against his skin and light. He wondered if it was as airy as it felt.

Itachi sighed mentally, happy that his little brother was choosing his happiness over the clan. He felt his mother radiate beside him, and knew she was happy as well.

"Oh Sasuke," she sighed, smiling despite the tears falling down her face. "I'll miss seeing you everyday, but Haji-san says we're," she gestured towards Itachi and herself, "always allowed to come by and visit."

"I know, kaa-san. I...I'm sorry...I'm sorry that I caused you this pain, but kaa-san, I'm really, really happy here...Haji-san, he...he says that I'm far exceeding expectations for my training, and that my studies are great..." Sasuke spoke quickly, so unlike himself and wondered if this is what Naruto was talking about, when he said that marked ones tend to feel the same emotions as their Dragon. "Otou- no, no, father...he never once said things like that about me. He never once praised me for anything, always telling me how I lacked in comparision to you, Itachi-nii. And I just, I don't want to go back there, to that. I want to here, with my friends, and I want to be happy." Sasuke said, his eyes tearing up as his mother nodded and opened her arms to him. He scrambled to give her a hug, not noticing Itachi get up and quietly leave the room.


"Itachi-san," a soft voice called out to him as he closed the door behind him. He turned around and saw Sakura standing at the end of the hall, staring at him with this odd look in her eyes. She nodded her head towards the room, and he nodded back.

"Sasuke-kun has decided to stay here and be disowned by the Uchiha-"

"He's the one disowning you, not the other way around." Sakura snapped, her eyes lighting up in the dimly lit hallway. Itachi blinked at the suddeness of her words. There was anger laced through each one, and he had to wonder if she even knew what was going on.

"I apologize if I've done anything to anger you, Sakura-chan-"

"San. And you have; you didn't stand up to your father for Sasuke, which makes you just as bad as him." She spoke softly and took quiet steps forward. Itachi stayed in place, wondering if this child was going to lash out at him. He didn't want to hurt her if she did. She stopped right in front of him, the shadows hiding the majority of her face from him. All he could see were her glowing green eyes, and the pupils unnerved him terribly. He wanted to take a step back from her, to gain some safe distance. But something told him she was expecting that. That she wanted to see if she, a little six year old child, could scare him, an Anbu operative. And that unnerved him even more. "I don't care if you're his blood brother or not, Itachi-san. If you ever try to take him away from me, I will burn everything you love to ashes. I will rip away everything precious from you and make you watch as I tear them to shreds. And then when I'm done destroying you on the inside, I will devour you whole." Her words were sharp and jagged. They were no empty threats, but a clear and terrifying promise of what would come, if her marked ones were hurt at all. Itachi nodded down her, making sure to bow his head in respect to her position, before glancing up and seeing the sweet, little six year staring back at him.

Gone were the glowing eyes, the predatory smile, and apathetic look.

Instead, he saw the little girl that his mother considered an angel who could do no harm.

And he wasn't sure which side of her scared him more.


AN: Okay, so this makes three chapters in one day, I hope you guys are happy.

Now, as for this one, honestly I felt like Itachi could've done more to stand up for Sasuke against their father's high expectations for him, but he didn't, so I decided to play with that.

Also, for anyone who says he's too OOC, and that he wouldn't be scared of a little girl, I call your bullshit!

If a little girl was standing at the end of a hallway, and then she was in front of you, and her fucking eyes were glowing, you would be shitting your pants. Me? I would punt that demon spawn from hell back down the hallway and run for my life.

And besides, it's fun to scare people.