Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor do I ever plan on owning it
Chapter 3: The Protector
The Uchiha massacre had begun.
Itachi was on his way to murder the Uchiha clan, save for Sasuke right now, and Obito needed to be there when the deed was done. But first, he needed to warn Kushina about the events.
"Kushina-san, I need to talk to you in private. This is urgent." Obito said.
"What do you need me for dattebane?" Kushina asked, surprised by the sudden serious tone in Obito's voice.
Without warning, Obito activates his mangekyo sharingan, using it to transport himself and Kushina into the Kamui dimension. At first, Kushina was shocked at the ability, but calmed down once Obito explained his ability.
"So why the hell did you bring me here, Obito?" Kushina asked.
"As you may know, the kyuubi attack from 6 years ago was no accident. It was set up by members of the organization that I am currently infiltrating called the akatsuki. Their goal is to unite the world under fear by having all 9 tailed beasts within their collection, and that's why they attacked all those years ago. Unfortunately, since Minato and I were the only ones who knew the truth of the attack, the blame for the entire night was placed on the Uchiha clan due to the assumption that because Madara Uchiha could control the kyuubi during his fight with Hashirama, but this could not be further from the truth. In reality, the attack was caused by a rinnegan wielder, someone who is more powerful than every single person we know combined." Obito started to talk before Kushina interrupted.
"Well then why didn't anyone fucking say something? Didn't you, Minato-kun, and the Sandaime know this? Why did you all have to subject my son and the damn Uchiha clan to this nonsense?!" Kushina angrily demanded.
"As I said before, they needed someone to blame. And that person had to be a reasonable scapegoat or else no one would believe it. The clan itself had a history with controlling the kyuubi, and Fugaku has the Mangekyo Sharingan, the only known weapon capable of controlling the beast, which made him and the clan the perfect scapegoat." Obito continued his explanation.
"So what does this have to do with the clan being murdered?" Kushina asked.
"After the attack and the scapegoating, the clan itself was segregated to a small part of the village, and resentment grew. Particularly among the high ranking officials of the clan, and Fugaku himself. They felt their voices weren't being heard enough and they had little say in Konoha affairs, which consistently led to the Uchiha being slighted against by the villagers. What I faced from these two-faced bastards is nothing compared to what the clan was facing then. As a result, Fugaku and the higher ups planned a coup d'etat, with Itachi Uchiha being the centerpiece for the revolution." Obito could only frown at this, while Kushina started to tear up.
"How could they do that to him, dattebane? How could that snake Fugaku do that to his own son?" Kushina asked between the cries.
"Itachi is no ordinary son. He's one of the 5 greatest prodigies the village had ever seen. Only behind sensei and Kakashi, but that's besides the point. What he didn't know was that Itachi was secretly feeding the information to Sandaime-sama, and after the death of Shisui Uchiha, the revolution only added fuel to the fire. Itachi has no choice. He needs to kill the clan or else we'd be fucked in the very near future." Obito said.
"BUT WHY THE WHOLE DAMN CLAN?! WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T INVOLVED?! WHY NOT JUST KILL THE CONSPIRATORS?!" Kushina could only scream out.
"That's the whole issue. Only a few members were involved in the revolution, yes, but because a majority of the clan has no idea what's going on, what do you think they'll do when they see someone from the hokage's office here killing their families? It needs to be done this way or else we'll have another revolution on our hands in no time, and at that time, neither Itachi nor I would be around to stop it. Everyone needs to be taken care of now to prevent MAJOR problems in the future." Obito explained the plan, knowing full well the implications of saying the wrong thing could have on everyone.
Kushina could only stand there stunned. She had known about Fugaku's increasing distaste for the top brass of Konoha since her best friend was Fugaku's wife, Mikoto Uchiha, but she never imagined that it would go this far. She started crying at the news.
"Kushina-san, I just have one request." Obito said.
"What is it?" Kushina asked.
"Take care of Sasuke please, he'll need your guidance for sure. And neither Itachi nor I would be able to take care of him because of our mission concerning the safety of Naruto, Sasuke, and the rest of Konoha in general." Obito requested, while handing Kushina Mikoto's last will. "Also, just so you know, Itachi will be branded a villain and a rogue in Konoha. That is all part of his cover to infiltrate the akatsuki. It's absolutely IMPERATIVE that you do not leak any of this information to anyone in Konoha. I only told this because Sasuke will need it later in his life, as I fear this will leave a bigger scar on him than anything that Naruto has faced."
Kushina nodded along, promising to be the new mother in Sasuke Uchiha's life, in a way that their own actions were taking away from him. Giving her word to Obito that she would take care of Sasuke like her own son, they exited the Kamui dimension and rejoined the group. Naruto was telling the girls some insane stories while they couldn't help but laugh, especially at the ones to do with the villagers' stupidity.
Meanwhile, Mebuki Haruno had finally woken up from her slumber caused by Obito decking the shit out of her, and she grabbed the nearest weapon she could find to "dispose of the demon" once and for all.
"DIE YOU UGLY BASTARD!" Mebuki yelled out and charged toward Naruto.
Luckily for everyone involved, Kushina emerged from the Kamui dimension and decked Mebuki once more before she could do any damage to anyone present.
"Hey Sakura, if you ever want to move out of this hellhole, my home is gladly open to you and anyone else that Naruto likes. So long as you don't fall victim to the villagers' shit, you can stay with us."
"Kushina-san, if Naruto-kun is the son of the Yondaime, a man regarded as the biggest hero in Konoha history, as well as the only reason the kyuubi isn't going on a damn rampage right now, why does he still get treated like he betrayed Konoha? Shouldn't he be celebrated and thought of as a hero?" Sakura asked, while still holding onto Naruto's arm.
"All I can say is people fear what they don't understand. And aside from a select few, nobody knows that Naruto is Minato-kun's son. They all believe he is the human reincarnation of the kyuubi and I am just some slave owner or a monster myself." Kushina said with tears running through her eyes.
Sakura saw those tears and knew it wasn't a good time to push further, no matter how much she wanted to hear about Naruto's past and what exactly happened to make everyone act like this. Unfortunately, what happened next shocked everyone to the very core.
The only things that could be heard in the distance were the screams and cries of children and adults alike. The noise coming from the Uchiha clan district had rang severe throughout Konoha and only a select few knew why.
Suddenly, just as quickly as the cries were heard, they stopped. All at once.
The deed had been done.
The Uchiha clan, save for Sasuke, Itachi, and Obito, was dead.
With Sasuke and Itachi, slight flashback to right before the death of Fugaku and Mikoto
A young boy, no older than 6 years old, was running through the Uchiha clan compound. For the first time in a long time, his brother had agreed to train with him and he could not be happier. All his life, Sasuke Uchiha had looked up to his older brother in Itachi, someone he believed to be the embodiment of light in his life. While his mother had retired from being a ninja and his father spent most of his time neglecting his family by working to overthrow the government, Sasuke could always count on Itachi to be there for him when nobody else was. This time was no different for the young Uchiha as he was about to get started with his shuriken training. He rushed home, being sure to thank the shopkeeper on the way out of the shuriken store.
However, when he reached the Uchiha compound, something was off.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
The Uchiha district, usually bustling in business at this time of day, was a ghost town. No one to be seen for a long stretch of the entrance. However, Sasuke didn't think much of it. He was finally going to train with Itachi, the moment he had been waiting for ever since he could pick up a kunai. He rushed home to try and find his brother.
I finally get to train with Elder Brother! Finally, father will learn how to respect me for who I am, not for who Elder Brother is! Sasuke thought, eager to prove to his family that he was just as much, if not an even greater prodigy than his older brother.
Sasuke finally reached his house and opened the door. What followed could only be described as his worst nightmare being brought to real life.
His parents… in a pool of their own blood, with Itachi himself standing over their bodies.
"Elder brother, who did this? You're going to catch the killer right? PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE GOING TO CATCH THE KILLER!" Sasuke said in between tears.
"Foolish little brother." Itachi stated coldly, the three words that stopped Sasuke right in his tracks.
"Elder brother… WHY AREN'T YOU DOING ANYTHING?! SOMEONE KILLED MOTHER AND FATHER AND YOU'RE STANDING HERE DOING NOTHING?! WHERE'S THE ELDER BROTHER THAT SAID TO STOP AT NOTHING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT?! WHERE'S THE ELDER BROTHER THAT WOULD DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY?!" Sasuke screamed out.
Although he wasn't showing it, those words cut Itachi deeply. He knew that he had no other choice, but to see his brother so heartbroken over his actions, and yet he didn't even know that Itachi was the one who killed their parents.
"I'm not doing anything because…" Itachi started.
"I am the one who killed them. Just like I did with all the Uchihas."
Sasuke just stood there as if he was just hit by a chidori, rasengan, bijudama, and a genjutsu at the same time. There was no way what Itachi was saying was real. No way the pride and joy of the clan and by extension, the pride and joy of Konoha, just decided to go ahead and murk the entire Uchiha clan. A clan that had its roots since the beginning of Konoha itself, a clan that has been considered by many to be the strongest clan of all time, all gone within a single night by one man. The man who happened to be Sasuke's biggest idol and the man who once preached to always do what's right. This HAD to be just one long nightmare.
"You're LYING! YOU LOVED MOTHER AND FATHER MORE THAN ANYONE! THEY LOVED YOU MORE THAN ANYONE! THERE'S NO WAY YOU WERE THE ONE WHO KILLED THEM!" Sasuke screamed out.
"Believe whatever the fuck you want Sasuke, but the truth is that I killed them. You're too naive and foolish to believe this is possible, but in truth, everything I had done led up to this moment, including making you believe that I was a caring older brother." Itachi said, deadpanning his brother in the process.
"What are you saying, elder brother? You're not making any sense!" Sasuke could not believe a single word he was hearing right now.
"I'm saying that I've always HATED you Sasuke, and I killed the clan because they were getting in my way."
"Getting in your way of what? Growing stronger? YOU HAD EVERYTHING HANDED TO YOU ON A GODDAMN SILVER PLATTER AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT GETTING ENOUGH HELP FROM THE CLAN?! FOR FUCKS SAKES FATHER LITERALLY GAVE YOU YOUR OWN GODDAMN SHRINE AND WORSHIPPED YOU EVERY CHANCE HE GOT! HE WOULDN'T EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO ME AND YET YOU STILL COMPLAIN THAT YOU DIDN'T GET ENOUGH HELP FROM THEM?!" Sasuke screamed so loud that Naruto, Sakura, Ino, and Kushina could hear him from the other side of town.
"Listen Sasuke, there are some things in this world that even the Uchiha clan cannot grant me. Their use has served their purpose and now it's time for me to get a fresh start. Killing the clan was just one step in my ultimate plan." By this point, Itachi had started to embrace the hatred that Sasuke had begun to feel towards him. Despite how badly he wanted to tell Sasuke the truth, he couldn't. It would crush him harder than anything he had ever heard to hear that his clan, the name he was prouder than anyone to carry, would even think about something so nefarious. He needed to swallow his desires and do what was best for Konoha as a whole.
"Then why did you spare me? You killed the whole damn clan, so why the fuck did you not kill me? At least then I wouldn't have to see this." Sasuke then shot back.
Because I love you more than Konoha itself, Itachi thought, tears welling up in his eyes. He wiped them away before resuming his cold demeanor.
"You're not worth killing, Sasuke. You're not powerful enough yet, but I see the potential you have to be something great." Itachi then flashed his mangekyo sharingan at Sasuke, trapping him in the Tsukuyomi where he witnessed his parents' deaths over 500 thousand times in the span of a couple seconds.
"When you finally have the same eyes as me, come and find me. The battle we have will be one for the ages, and I will finish your pathetic little ass off then." Itachi stated before starting to leave. However, he was stopped when he heard what could only be described as the loudest scream he has ever heard.
Sasuke fell to the ground clutching his head. Before long, he started to feel deep pain in his eyes, a pain Itachi was all too familiar with.
Sasuke Uchiha had unlocked his sharingan. Step 1 in Itachi Uchiha's ultimate plan has been completed.
With Itachi and Obito, outside Konoha's borders
Itachi made his way to the outskirts of Konoha, where Obito was waiting for his arrival. He knew he had to do what he did, yet it still did not feel good. Having to kill his family, friends, and even his girlfriend in cold blood just to Konoha and Sasuke could be safe.
"It's done." Itachi stated.
"What about Sasuke? Did you do what you were supposed to?" Obito asked, wondering if they had done the right thing. He knew that Itachi wanted his brother to grow as strong as possible, but at what cost?
"Sasuke will not be a problem. I have instilled all of his hatred onto me and one day, he will be the one to restore the Uchiha name, as well as become someone proud to stand alongside Konoha until the end of time." Itachi proudly stated, however Obito was not convinced.
"And how exactly do you plan on making him hate you forever?" Obito asked.
"I put him into a genjutsu where I showed him the moment when I killed our parents over 500 thousand times. Hopefully that hardens his resolve to not only protect Konoha, but to become as strong as possible to take me down when the time is right." Itachi stated, to which Obito slapped the fuck out of him.
"ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?! YOU HAVEN'T CREATED THE NEXT KONOHA DEFENDER, FOR FUCKS SAKES YOU CREATED THE NEXT MADARA UCHIHA!" Obito yelled out. "I just know this man finna go out and try and kill everyone who tries to stop him from killing you, so you might as well have just killed yourself after the murder of the clan, cuz you're going to die anyway. Sasuke will stop at nothing to kill you."
Itachi paled. What did Obito know about Sasuke that he didn't? Why was he insisting that making Sasuke feel the most pain in the world was not the way to do it? And who the fuck was he to compare Sasuke to the most famous traitor in Konoha history?
"You're surely mistaken Obito, I know for a fact that Sasuke will eventually work to defend Konoha, so long as no one tells him the truth about the massacre. If he finds out that I killed the clan under Konoha orders, then he will SURELY defect and want to kill everyone in Konoha. This way, I at least give Konoha the chance to remain alive and well." Itachi reasoned, but Obito himself was not convinced.
"Look Itachi, as someone who has met Madara Uchiha and was almost lured into his evil plans, I NEED to tell you that what you did was almost a carbon copy of what happened to Madara, except his whole family was killed by the Senju clan. Since then, Madara became a bitter and spiteful man obsessed with bringing his family back to life to the point where he was willing to defect from Konoha after reading a stone tablet that promised a world full of love and happiness. I see most of the same qualities in Sasuke that I did when I first met Madara. Someone who will do anything to protect his family and will stop at nothing to see them safe. Noble qualities for sure, but you also need to realize what will happen if their family is killed. I know better than anyone how hard it is to find a new group of people that you can call your family, especially being an Uchiha. Unfortunately, that's just the harsh reality of our clan. Now that you've taken Sasuke's family, his only reason to live and get stronger, away from him, the only thing on his mind will be revenge. Just like what happened to Madara, only worse. Because this time, his family was taken away by someone he looked up to and loved more than anyone, not a person he hated." Obito explained, leaving Itachi shook to the core.
"Also, the deaths of Madara's loved ones and friends were all gradual and killed off one by one. This happened all in one night where EVERYONE besides us and Sasuke were killed. Not to mention his family's deaths came in the time of war, while ours came in the time of peace. Not only that, but you made him re-live that pain. I know for a fact that if we don't fix this, Sasuke is GOING to turn his back on Konoha." Obito chided.
Itachi couldn't help but stand there speechless. What Obito had said made too much sense to not take it seriously. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if his actions had turned Sasuke into someone who wanted revenge on Konoha, that's why he chose to focus all of Sasuke's hatred on him. It had made sense at the time, but now with Obito's explanation, he knew what he had to do.
"I'll go speak to Sasuke, hopefully he's willing to hear me out." Itachi stated.
"No, seeing you will only trigger those bad memories again. He needs to hear what happened from an outsider. Preferably the only Uchiha alive that can take you out without a second thought. He needs to know the truth from someone who isn't afraid to be straight with him, and knowing the way you tried to focus his hatred into you, sending you to explain the shit that happened would probably be the worst idea in the world. Even worse than the goddamn council thinking 'You know what would be fun? If we made the lives of the only surviving legacies of our goddamn hero into a living hell.'" Obito sneered at the last statement.
Even though he wasn't there to help his godson and his surrogate mother out, he knew of all the shit the villagers pulled to try and kill Naruto. It pained him to see that the same village he swore to protect was filled with the kind of monsters that would try and kill someone just for being alive, especially when he could have done something to stop the hatred. Unfortunately, that would have led to another can of worms being opened because of Iwagakure's unnatural hatred of Minato Namikaze. Before he left, he needed to make sure Konoha didn't have another problem on their hands with Sasuke, the last surviving member of his family along with Itachi.
"You go report directly to Lord Third, I'll go take care of the mess you made." Obito instructed, to which Itachi could only nod and follow orders. They both left to fulfill the last parts of the massacre mission. Itachi informs Lord 3rd, and Obito takes care of Sasuke.
In the council chamber room
Twenty-five different people sat in a room within the Hokage tower, each representing a different part of the village. 12 chairs sat across from each other indicating the position of each of the main clans in Konoha, them being the Senju, Uchiha, Namikaze, Uzumaki, Aburame, Hyuga, Inuzuka, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Hatake, and Sarutobi clans. With the notable absence of Tsunade Senju, the last remaining heir of the Senju clan, the massacre of the Uchiha clan, as well as the death of Minato Namikaze, the last known heir of the Namikaze clan, those three seats were left empty. The rest of the clan heads gathered around along with the Hokage, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane, as well as the eleven members constituting the civilian council, led by Mebuki Haruno.
It had been three days since the attack on Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Ino Yamanaka as well as the massacre of the Uchiha clan as a whole. As one would probably feel in this situation, Hiruzen was not sure of what to do with the situation, considering he needed to get everyone on his side to run a functioning village. He needed to minimize as much conflict as possible but at the same time, he needed to ensure that Konoha was safe for all of its citizens. His negligence of the problem at hand actively sent two kids to the hospital, with one of them needing the help of the goddamn kyuubi to even have a chance at survival. Being the Hokage, Hiruzen knew a thing or two about the life of a jinchuriki often not being pleasant and sometimes even hell. However, that notion changed for the better when Yagura Karatachi was named the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure. Finally, the jinchuriki would be able to make a better name for themselves. Unfortunately things took a turn for the much worse when Yagura commenced the Bloodline Purge of Kirigakure and descended Kiri into the Blood Mist Village, an event which completely destroyed any of the goodwill any jinchuriki would ever hope to gain from their home once and for all. He needed to do something to right the ship, and fast.
Hiruzen knew he couldn't do anything to stop the hatred towards Naruto, considering that at its core, hatred can only be beaten once someone learns to let go of their hatred and is willing to try to understand the person they claim to hate. However, what he could do, starting now, is to tell the truth to everyone. A truth that he had been neglecting for the longest time out of fear of attacks on Konoha. He needed to tell the truth about Naruto or else he would be spitting on his successor and predecessors' graves just for allowing such treatment of Naruto.
Hiruzen took a deep breath before entering the room. It was filled with the clan heads (Minus the Uchiha, Namikaze, and Senju heads), Danzo, Homura, Koharu, and the Civilian Council. As usual, the clan heads and the civilian council were at each other's throats over the smallest of things.
"EVERYONE! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Hiruzen yelled, which caused everyone in the room to freeze.
"Good. Now that everyone can hear me and aren't busy trying to have premarital sex with each other, we can start the meeting." Hiruzen joked around.
Everyone turned their attention to Hiruzen, not knowing what the meeting would entail. However, what they were about to hear would shock the foundation of the village to the very core.
"What is it, Lord Third, and why is Fugaku-sama not here?" A member of the civilian council asked. This is Kodai Shindoki, a businessman and one of the only people in Konoha to treat Naruto with some semblance of non-hate, even though Shindoki mainly just ignores Naruto's existence.
"That is what I'm about to get at. Fugaku Uchiha is now dead, along with the rest of the clan aside from Sasuke. They were killed by Itachi Uchiha last night. As of right now, Itachi is a rogue ninja and has been placed within the bingo book." Hiruzen said, earning a collective cry of outrage from the room.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE UCHIHA ARE DEAD?!" Shrieked Mebuki.
"He means they're 6 feet under, Mebuki. Gone. Not coming back. Maybe if you hadn't filled your brain with hatred for my son, you'd already know what the word dead meant." Kushina snidely remarked.
"Enough Kushina-san, I know you hold a grudge against Mebuki for lots of things, including trying to attack and kill your son, but you must remember this is a place of inclusion. We are not to try and bash others here just because of personal grudges against them." Hiruzen chided Kushina, to which Mebuki could only grin from ear to ear.
"Bullshit." Kushina muttered.
"I'm sorry, what was that Uzumaki-san?" Homura asked in a threatening voice.
The clan heads all hung their heads hoping that Kushina wouldn't say something that would piss everyone off, knowing she would have had no problem letting out her anger, but this time it didn't come.
No, this time it was far, FAR worse.
"I said bullshit. You claim this to be a place of inclusion, then how about the fact that my son constantly gets treated like he committed fucking war crimes just for the sole reason of him being alive? Why does my family have to live in fear every single day of mobs coming to try and kill us? Why is it that whenever someone even tries to help my son out, that they are the ones who get treated unfairly? What have we done wrong to get everyone to treat us like this? How are we the demon you all so claim us to be?" Kushina was nearly crying after saying this. Going through nearly three years of living in fear of not knowing when your life will be on the line would be especially draining for anyone, let alone a 6 year old child who by all accounts did nothing wrong except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The major clan heads, save for a few, felt that how Naruto was being treated was wrong on a basic moral level. Even Hiruzen hung his head in shame at listening to the cries for help. He knew he should have done something, but he didn't. His choice to not act on the problem had indirectly led to two young children being hospitalized and fighting for their lives, one of which would have been denied hospital care had he not shown up and demanded Naruto be looked at. Before he could start speaking however, one clan head spoke up.
"Because Kushina, your son nearly destroyed the entire village 6 years ago. If it wasn't for that fateful day when the kyuubi attacked, we wouldn't even care that he exists. Be grateful that people actually give enough of a shit about him to pelt him with rocks and seal his chakra points every damn second." One pale-eyed man said. Hiashi Hyuga, leader of the Hyuga clan and one of the most powerful people in Konoha. Known for driving the Hyuga into a dictatorship that had segregated out the people not born into the main family, Hiashi was known throughout the village as a tyrannical ruler who cared little for anything except protecting the precious family heirloom. Because of this, despite his well-documented power, Hiashi was not liked at all by his comrades, especially the other clan heads.
"I would like to ask one question to everyone here." Shikaku Nara spoke up. "How old is young Naruto? And when is his birthday?"
This time, it was one of the council members that spoke up.
"WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT HOW OLD THAT DEMON IS?! HE'S PROBABLY JUST LYING ABOUT HIS AGE SO THAT WE ALL FEEL SYMPATHY FOR HIM! HE SHOULD JUST BE PUT DOWN AND JAILED FOR KILLING LORD 4TH!" A screeching member of the civilian council yelled out, which only angered Kushina and the majority of the clan heads even more.
Before things got too out of hand, Hiruzen decided to try and bring the conversation back to pressing matters.
"Alright everyone, let's get back on track. We need to find a new home for Sasuke Uchiha, the remaining survivor of the Uchiha clan." Hiruzen declared, to which many council members jumped at the opportunity to boost their status by housing the Uchiha, exclaiming that they'd house him in a heartbeat, especially those with daughters.
This is my perfect chance to get Sakura away from that demon brat once and for all, if Sasuke Uchiha comes under my custody, they will for sure fall in love and that little shit will get nothing. This way, the Haruno will rise to the top once again, and there will be no clan that can stop us. Plus the little shit shouldn't even have love anyways. The only way for this plan to work is if lord Hokage allows us to house Sasuke. Mebuki thought, seeing the benefit for her in many ways, but the most important is that with this, she would finally be able to gain a higher position within the village. Many others thought the same, including Hiashi Hyuga himself.
The rest of the shinobi council however, was not as supportive of giving Sasuke to a civilian family, out of fear that they would turn him into nothing more than a baby machine with their daughters in an attempt to put the sharingan into their bloodline. Inoichi Yamanaka was the first to speak up.
"If I may, Lord Hokage, I don't think giving Sasuke to anyone would be a wise decision. We know about the Uchiha clan and their tendency to over rely on their emotions for these kinds of situations, and now think about how a young boy losing his whole family would feel. Especially to his older brother. I propose that Sasuke live by himself until he can make the decisions he needs to, as it would be a way for everyone involved to be safer than they would otherwise." Inoichi started off before getting interrupted by Danzo.
"That would be utter foolishness." Danzo stated calmly. "Sasuke right now is prime material to be drafted into the ROOT. With my training, not only will Sasuke become a fine shinobi, but he will become someone who Konoha can look up to as the face of the shinobi brand, as well as someone who will put his life on the line for Konoha. I beg of you Hiruzen, please consider drafting Sasuke into the ROOT. he's of prime ROOT material, and he'd make a fine addition to the shinobi forces, as well as someone who would put Konoha ahead of everyone and everything." Danzo explained his rationale before Kushina spoke up.
"If I may speak, Lord 3rd, I have one request, dattebane." Kushina started.
"Yes Kushina-san?" Hiruzen asked.
"I know the risks involved with taking Sasuke in, as well as the rewards about him accepting you, but you all are forgetting the most important player in this situation. Sasuke himself. This is a man who just lost everyone he ever loved. Everyone he ever had any feelings for whatsoever, and everyone who had ever meant anything to him. Getting him to a point where he would be able to trust again is the most important thing to do with him, and that's why isolating him from everyone else would probably be the worst possible way to treat him." Kushina said.
The clan heads nodded along to what Kushina was saying, making perfect sense and internally smacking themselves for not thinking of this sooner. This gave the civilian council the opening they needed to start hammering their point into the ground, yelling at the top of their lungs why Sasuke should move in with them rather than with someone else.
Kushina then interrupted their 'chatter' with her trademark silencing technique. A hard, swift punch in the balls to the nearest man on the other side of the room.
"Putting Sasuke with any of you meatheads would probably be an even worse idea. He doesn't need someone to constantly kiss his ass all day in hopes of him one day marrying your daughters so all of you could have precious little sharingans in your family. What Sasuke needs right now is someone he can trust. Someone he already has a relationship with and who is willing to take care of him. He needs someone to guide him right now, and be a second mother to him." Kushina finished her spiel before Danzo spoke up.
"Where exactly are you going with this Kushina-san?" Danzo questioned, hoping he could find flaws in her argument to use as leverage to have Sasuke integrated into the ROOT.
"Sasuke needs someone who he trusts right now, or someone he's comfortable with. I suggest I be the one to take care of Sasuke, not only because I'm the only one who's fucking name he knows, but also because it was Mikoto Uchiha's last request. She had asked me prior to her death that if anything were to happen to her, Fugaku, or Itachi, that I be the one to take care of Sasuke." Kushina finished, receiving a mixed reaction from everyone. While Hiruzen and some of the council members agreed with this logic, the large majority were against it, thinking she was just trying to use Sasuke for her own game.
Unfortunately for the civilian council, Hiruzen ruled in favor of Kushina, meaning Sasuke would now be an honorary Uzumaki instead of a breeding center for the council to manwhore out. If anyone thought they would go down without a fight however, they would be proven more wrong than ever before when nearly all of the civilian council members did the only thing they could do. Scream, bitch, and moan at the top of their lungs.
"THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS! HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK OF PUTTING THE LAST OF THE UCHIHA CLAN IN THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH THAT FUCKING DEMON?! I'M SURE THAT LITTLE FUCKER WILL CORRUPT SASUKE-KUN AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO REPOPULATE THE UCHIHA CLAN! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WE DO NOT STAND BY THE DECISION. IF YOU DECIDE TO UPHOLD THE THOUGHT OF PLACING SASUKE-KUN WITH THAT BLONDE-HAIRED SHIT, HIS SLUT OF A 'MOTHER' AND ANY OTHER DEMON SPAWNS THEY CREATE, WE WILL REVOLT AGAINST THIS FUCKING VILLAGE!" The council members shrieked. Luckily for Hiruzen, he was trained to deal with whiny bitches more than anyone. Working with Danzo only improved his skill on that front.
"Shut up. You know, I've had it with you bitchass toddlers complaining when shit doesn't go your way. You wanna know why shit doesn't get done in Konoha? Because every single fucking issue we've ever had it has always been Shinobi vs Civilian council. Be grateful that you all have a fucking voice right now because I am THIS close to taking those privileges away. Not only do you actively encourage the abuse of a fucking 6 year old child, a child who has done nothing except mind his own business, but you all partake in said abuse too? How you don't feel ashamed of yourselves is completely beyond me. Not only have you broken several Konoha laws, but you have also made Konoha feel like the enemy for many of our citizens. It started with the Uchiha clan themselves, and now it has spread to a child who has held nothing but love for this shitty village. The fact that our predecessors right now aren't looking at all of you in absolute disgust and shame is probably only due to the fact that you guys got lucky as fuck that I tried to balance your wishes along with keeping everyone safe. Well that ends now. I am now transitioning into being the hokage of Konoha, not the whipping boy of the civilian council out of fear of retaliation. If any of you can give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't just lock your sorry asses up right now, I will give everyone a share of Minato Namikaze's estate." Hiruzen threatened.
Nobody spoke a word. The clan heads mostly felt ashamed that they let Naruto be abused to the state he was, and the civilians mostly did not know how to articulate their feelings into words. Only one member around the table had anything to say. Hiashi Hyuga.
"Well if you want a reason why you shouldn't lock them up, it's because without them, who will run our businesses and keep Konoha and its civilians happy? You gave them a voice because of the exact reason that you'd be afraid of them revolting. So answer me this, Hiruzen, is the life of a meaningless brat worth a potential revolution in Konoha? I say we just kill Naruto and Sasuke and have the Hyuga reign supreme. That way, we deal with two headaches at the same time and nobody will have to consider those two wastes of oxygen anymore. Anyone objecting to this decision can also die along with them, as they clearly have no sense of what it takes to make Konoha great again." Hiashi spoke in his usual calm-but-smug attitude.
What transpired next could only be described as nearly breaking out into a full out free-for-all between the members of the council. Loud enough to be heard from the next village over. Once the fighting stopped and Hiruzen exerted his control once more, he needed to make sure it stayed that way with what he was about to say.
"EVERYONE ENOUGH!" Hiruzen yelled out, charging up an earth style jutsu to go along with his big-head jutsu. Seeing this, everyone immediately sat their asses back down and Hiruzen could only shake his head in disappointment at what had just transpired. One of the most respected figures in Konoha had just pitched the idea of killing the last Uchiha along with the heir of the Namikaze, the child Minato and Obito ordered him to protect, a mission he had utterly failed to this point. He needed to ensure that the last Uchiha in Konoha did not suffer the same fate.
"Kushina-san, do you have any proof of Mikoto-san wanting you to take care of Sasuke? Unfortunately without any proof, I will be forced to send Sasuke to an orphanage." Hiruzen stated.
Kushina reached into her pocket and pulled out a scroll. Within it, was the last will of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha.
Hiruzen glanced over the will and decided to read out the parts pertaining to Sasuke, as he could not spill the details about the coup without putting Sasuke's life in danger. He knew that under Kushina's care, Sasuke would develop the best, but he needed to keep it fair for everyone involved. Unfortunately, before he could say anything, one of his council members spoke up.
"How are we supposed to know that said document has not been forged by the kyuubi's bitch in order to gain control of the sharingan? We have no way of proving this document is legitimate without the two people here to confirm it, and they're 6 feet under. Unless you know someone who can do the reanimation jutsu, then Sasuke should be placed under Konoha custody, and we can take much better care of him than the girl who can't even stop her 'own son' from being sent to the hospital, from a fucking BRANCH member of the Hyuga clan nonetheless." Koharu spat out, disgusted with the thought of Naruto gaining friends. Unlucky for her, he had some of the best friends anyone could imagine, as people were willing to risk their lives for him in ways that nobody had ever done for him before.
Kushina saw right through the facade Koharu put up. It was obvious she only wanted more sharingan in Konoha and planned to enact the CRA on Sasuke when given the chance. But before she could have the chance to speak, Ishida Yamanaka interjected.
"Let me handle this Kushina-san." Ishida stated.
"So let me get this straight. You want to put a 6 year old child in the custody of Konoha, also known as an orphanage, that will stop at nothing to make him into a baby-making machine? Do you have any form of common decency to understand that shit is just the grossest thing ever? Not only are you denying a child the right to a protective family, but you are also internally suggesting that all the little girls should whore themselves out for Sasuke; just for the off chance that he isn't completely hung up on revenge to the point where he will stop at nothing and will not be afraid to hurt anyone just to ensure that the person who killed his family ends up nowhere else but 6 feet under. I for one do not wish to see Ino become nothing less than the best person she can be, not some degraded slut whose only purpose is to bend over to the will of the last Uchiha. I can also speak for many of the council members too, as if they had daughters, they would expect nothing less than the best from them. Not turn them into some cheap whore." Ishida spoke, to the ire of many of the civilian council members as well as Homura and Koharu.
"Ishida Yamanaka, where the fuck are you going with this?" Mebuki yelled out.
"I'm saying that putting Sasuke in the custody of Konoha would be the absolute WORST thing you could do for Sasuke. You are denying him the one thing he desires for more than anything, a true family that he can love. I've known Mikoto and Kushina for a long time, and I've seen Sasuke interact with Kushina like she's his surrogate aunt. On the flipside, I have no doubt in my mind that if not given to a family and if he is left to the custody of the village, he will leave." Ishida warned.
"This is utter bullshit. How can you be so sure that Sasuke Uchiha will leave if we leave him under Konoha's watch? He'll have all the freedom to do whatever the fuck he wants, no one is stopping him from getting whatever he wants, and he'll have all the women in the village lined up to be his next mate. What more could he want?" Koharu ignorantly stated.
This time it was Kushina who spoke up, fed up with the direction of the conversation.
"Love. That's what he'd want. And Ishida-san is right, he has no more ties to Konoha, and the only way to ensure he stays is to build more ties. I will be taking Sasuke Uchiha under my care, and if you want to disagree with that, well let's just say that even though I lost 90% of my chakra sealing the kyuubi into Naruto, I could still whoop all of your frilly asses combined. Oh and while we're on the subject of Naruto, if I see any one of you bitchass losers lay a single finger on my son once more, Kami-sama himself won't be able to save you."
Kushina got up to leave before anyone could try and retort. She needed to get to Sasuke before anyone else did and let him know exactly what was going on, along with getting to Naruto before anyone could lay a finger on him. Running as fast as she could, Kushina made her way to the hospital.
Meanwhile at the Hospital:
Sasuke Uchiha had just woken up from his coma. Hoping what he had just seen was just some kind of nightmare, and that his brother did not just betray him in the worst possible way. He was hoping that when he opened his eyes, he would see his family all there, reassuring him that he would be ok. Looking around desperately, all he could find was the barren wasteland that was his hospital room. Sasuke could only break down in tears.
While Sasuke was having his mental breakdown, Obito made his way into Sasuke's room, hoping to finally set the record straight about what happened. He needed to act quickly or else Sasuke's emotions would get the best of him and he ended up abandoning Konoha. He grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and transported him into the Kamui dimension with himself.
"Wh… where am I? Who the fuck are you? WHERE HAVE YOU BROUGHT ME?! WHERE IS ITACHI?! I WILL KILL THAT LITTLE BASTARD FOR WHAT HE DID TO THE UCHIHA CLAN!" Sasuke yelled out.
Is he fucking serious? Obito thought as he let Sasuke continue his tantrum.
Minutes passed before Sasuke finally calmed down and saw a man in front of him, wearing a cloak that belonged to the Uchiha clan. Seeing this, Sasuke's anger grew insurmountable levels, to the point where he had unknowingly activated his two-tomoe sharingan.
"So you've finally decided to stop whining like a little bitch. Good. Now I can say what I need to say." Obito spoke, with his back still towards Sasuke.
"WHO ARE YOU?! WHY DO YOU HAVE THE CLOAK OF SHISUI UCHIHA ON YOU?!" Sasuke sneered.
"Because it's my cloak. I bought this with my own money, you know, the shit you need to live?" Obito stated, finally turning his head to Sasuke. The fact that this stranger claimed the cloak was his and not Shisui's infuriated Sasuke.
"That cloak is a property of the Uchiha clan. No one outside of the clan is allowed to don the Uchiha crest, especially not some lowlife like you." Sasuke was beyond just being angry and hurt at this point. Seeing someone, much less someone who isn't an Uchiha donning the crest of the family he once knew and loved more than anyone.
"Well then it's a good thing I am an Uchiha. Name's Obito." Obito finally introduced himself.
"No. Not possible. All the Uchiha except for Itachi and I are dead. I saw their bodies with my own fucking eyes. Itachi killed them all. You being an Uchiha has to be the biggest piece of bullshit I've ever heard." Sasuke chided before Obito flashed his mangekyo at Sasuke.
"Listen here you little shit, I came here to clear up the truth about the Uchiha massacre because Itachi lied to you." Obito stated as he trapped Sasuke in a genjutsu.
"What the fuck do you mean? I saw the massacre with my own eyes. Itachi told me he only killed the clan to test out his fucking abilities! What do you mean he lied about this?!" Sasuke was in disbelief. He had wanted so desperately to believe that Itachi was a genuinely good person, and not the monster that he showed himself to be, but he just couldn't. Not after what he just saw, his parents bodies at his feet, with Itachi towering over them, anbu outfit on, and sword dripping with blood.
"He lied about the reason he committed the massacre. He didn't do it to test his abilities, rather he did it to stop a potential revolution in Konoha." Obito said, which stopped Sasuke dead in his tracks.
"R-R-Revolution?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN REVOLUTION?! THE UCHIHA LOVED KONOHA MORE THAN ANYONE! WE WOULDN'T REVOLT AGAINST THE VILLAGE!" Sasuke tried to reason with Obito, but to no avail.
"Their love for Konoha was nothing but a mirage, Sasuke. Especially under your father's rule. We reverted back to the ways of Madara Uchiha, only acting in the clan's best interests, and nothing more." Obito said coldly.
The name Madara sent shivers up Sasuke's spine. He had read about Madara while preparing to enter the academy. What Sasuke found was that Madara was not only the most powerful Uchiha of all time, but he was also the biggest traitor in Konoha history. Growing up, Sasuke had always been fascinated by Madara's life, going from an idealistic child who wanted nothing more than to grow up and stop the bloodshed between the Uchiha and the Senju, to the man who would then become known throughout the world for his visual prowess and complete mastery of the Sharingan. However, everything took a turn for the worse when the Uchiha themselves betrayed Madara and he left Konoha.
Reading about Madara's death in the final valley against Hashirama was what really intrigued Sasuke when he was younger. To him, Itachi was the perfect representation of what both Hashirama and Madara stood for, doing absolutely everything in their power to ensure the best for the people they cared about the most. At least, until he saw Itachi kill their parents.
"How does that explain why Itachi killed the clan?" Sasuke asked.
"While your father was the leader of the coup, Itachi was the one that was against it the most. Itachi was born during the 3rd great war, and he had seen a lot of bloodshed through his time. Growing up in those conditions led Itachi to desire peace more than anything else, and he was willing to sacrifice what was needed to ensure that Konoha and the world would remain out of war. After hearing about his father's plans, Itachi felt that the thought process behind the coup was flawed in the sense that it would only lead to complete and total annihilation of Konoha, one way or another. He constantly fed information to lord 3rd about the plans of the coup, keeping an eye on everything your father did. He wasn't alone in that regard as his best friend, Shisui Uchiha was there with him. The original plan was to use Shisui's mangekyo ability, the Kotoamatsukami, to try and convince Fugaku to stop the coup. Unfortunately, after Shisui committed suicide, Itachi had no other choice but to do what was necessary. Eliminate the leaders of the clan, and those who plotted the coup. That was his mission given to him by Konoha, all that could have been prevented if your family would stop being power-hungry dumbasses for once in their lives." Obito explained.
Sasuke stood there speechless. For one, this strange man had told him that Itachi didn't kill his family for reasons other than to keep the peace in Konoha, as well as keep Konoha safe. However, one thing just didn't sit right with him. How did this man know all the details? And why did he never hear of this Uchiha before?
"You claim to be an Uchiha, yet I've never heard of you before. I know every single Uchiha, past and present. I've never seen your face in any of the Uchiha archives nor records. You're like a ghost." Sasuke said.
"Well that's not surprising, considering I was ousted from the Uchiha clan for being too un – Uchiha. I keep the last name as a reminder for the people who looked down on me, in my quest to become the first ever Uchiha to take the title of hokage." Obito stated. "But enough of my life story, I have time for one more question before I have to go, so choose wisely."
"Why did Itachi kill everyone but me? Why am I the only one? If the only reason he killed the clan was to stop a potential civil war, then why did he kill the women and children who knew nothing of the revolution?" Sasuke asked.
"That's the exact reason. They didn't know about the coup. If Itachi left them alive, knowing the trend of the Uchiha acting solely based on emotion rather than rationality, we would have had another coup on our hands in no time. And that time, we wouldn't have Itachi or me to stop the coup. Or potentially even worse, if word of the planned coup got out, their lives would be worse than hell. Itachi did them a favor by killing them all, so they wouldn't have to suffer through either the scrutiny of being associated with the clan that tried to revolt against Konoha, or from the loss of their family members. As for why he didn't kill you? Well, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did. He loved you more than anyone Sasuke, even more than his girlfriend and parents. He wants you to grow up and restore the Uchiha name, restore the clan, and restore the honor it once brought to Konoha. That's his mission for you Sasuke. His final mission." Obito explained, which only brought tears to Sasuke's eyes.
Obito then returned himself and Sasuke to the real world, back in the hospital bed where Sasuke was located.
"Listen Sasuke, you cannot tell what I told you to ANYONE." Obito warned.
"Why not? Why should Itachi bear the hatred of Konoha when it was my parents who were in the wrong?" Sasuke asked.
"Because his 'exile' from Konoha is just a cover. Itachi and I are going on a mission that nobody outside of Lord 3rd knows about. This mission is vital for the safety of Konoha as well as the lives of everyone involved, you included, so it's imperative that you keep this mission a secret. Don't let anyone know of my existence either. Aside from your new family and Lord 3rd, everyone thinks I'm dead. I will not field any questions because I have to leave now." Obito warned.
"WAIT! You said I'll be getting a new family?" Sasuke asked.
"If everything goes right, you should be getting adopted by Kushina-san any minute now. She's trying to convince Lord 3rd to let her adopt you. If she can do that, your life will be as good as it can get under these circumstances. Now I have to leave, or else my absence will be suspected from the group I'm infiltrating. But I will come to check on you every once in a while, and give updates on Itachi's conditions." Obito reassured Sasuke.
So I'll be adopted by Kushina-san, well I'd rather that than have to deal with these annoying ass villagers wanting to kiss my ass every waking second. Sasuke thought before looking back out the window, lost in his own thoughts.
Rather than sadness, he was met with anger. Anger at himself for not knowing about the plans their father had. Anger at the Uchiha clan in general for forcing Itachi into these circumstances. Anger at Konoha for isolating the Uchiha. But most of all, he was angry at his father. The leader of the coup, the one who was willing to kill everyone just to get what he wanted. Not only that, but he had learned of Obito's outcast from the Uchiha clan. His father taught him to treat every member of the Uchiha with the utmost respect and all Uchiha were like family, the most important thing in the world to Sasuke. Yet he just found out that his father was willing to sacrifice his family just to preserve the Uchiha name. That was what angered Sasuke the most. He could deal with his father's constant nagging or his more-than-obvious favoritism towards Itachi, but this was too far.
Sasuke could not stand the Uchiha name anymore. He wanted out. He would no longer be associated with the clan that tried to kill everyone for personal glory. That wasn't what Itachi stood for, nor what Shisui and now Obito stood for.
I will not become like father did, nor follow in the footsteps of Madara Uchiha. My allegiance will be to Konoha first, then Uchiha second. From here on out, I will be the one who makes sure my home never meets the fate it almost has. I will be the one to bring Konoha out of the darkness, by taking on the hatred against Konoha. Anyone trying to disrespect my home will feel my wrath. Sasuke vowed. He looked up with fierce determination in his eyes, sharingan activated. He was no longer Sasuke Uchiha, the son of Fugaku. He was Sasuke Uchiha, The protector.
And that concludes Chapter 3.
Not going to lie, this was probably my favorite chapter to write, mainly because Sasuke is one of my favorite characters to write about. I've always liked the types of stories where Sasuke isn't completely consumed by revenge, but rather performs his actions for the sake of bettering Konoha.
Regarding updates on the harem, I've decided to expand the option pool to characters from other animanga as well, as I would like to incorporate other anime characters into the Naruto verse, an idea that hasn't been explored much throughout the fanfic community. So far, I'm thinking of including some characters from One Piece, High School DxD, Sword Art Online, Fairy Tail, etc. Mainly because I can easily transfer their skills and powers to the Naruto verse. So now that the pool is expanded, let me know what you want to see happen. KEEP IN MIND THOUGH that if I incorporate other anime characters, I will have to either remove or place less emphasis on the minor characters from Naruto, just so I could incorporate the other anime girls as well.
I also have ideas for a few ships that can be done, especially with Sasuke, who I think might get a harem as well, all depending on what you guys feel like as well as how well I can write his romances. So do let me know what you guys want to see. Same rules apply. No more than 5 girls in the harem, no incest, and none of my least favorite ships.
Naruto's harem: Sakura and Ino
Options from Naruto: Tayuya, Karin, Tenten, Female Jins, Kurotsuchi, Haku, Shizuka, Samui
Options from other animanga: Erza Scarlet (FT), Lucy Heartfilia (FT), Nami, Robin, Yamato, Asuna (SAO), Rias (DxD), Akeno (DxD), others
Sasuke's ship: ?
Options from Naruto: Karin, Female Jins, Kurotsuchi, Haku, Shizuka, Samui
Options from other animanga: Erza Scarlet (FT), Lucy Heartfilia (FT), Nami, Robin, Yamato (OP), Rukia (Bleach), Rias (DxD), Akeno (DxD), others
Let me know what you think of the idea of incorporating different anime characters into the Naruto verse. This is an idea that I haven't seen many people try, with the majority of crossover fics being Naruto in another world, so I would like to give it a whirl.
With that I am out
Peace.