Like all Uchiha, Sasuke learned at the knees of tutors and parents, uncles and aunts and older cousins. When he was old enough, he found teachers in the villages they frequented-villages with friendly governments and more than enough land to house the Wandering Clan. Villages that have made deals to shelter them in return for the Uchiha's knowledge in craft and the healing arts.
It is in one of these villages that Sasuke learned that the Uchiha have not always been this way. Warriors, they told him, monsters on the battlefield. But not anymore, not that Sasuke has ever seen. The Wandering Clan never raised a hand unless in defense. And never to harm. Precision over brute strength. Speed over force. Delicate paper fans instead of steel blades. Blood is not meant to be spilled. Life is not meant to be wasted.
They are healers. They know the ache of losing a life.
When he'd confronted his father, Itachi knelt for the first time in Sasuke's life and explained to Sasuke the weight of their history. Warriors, but also madmen. Honorable, and yet tempted. Haunted by both loss and betrayal, the Uchiha had fled. "We remember," his father had urged him, "and so we have learnt. Today we are different and in doing so we are free."
And Sasuke tries to understand. Free from bloodshed. Free from allegiance and a cycle of war. But in return they had lost this… Konoha. They had lost a homeland and, in turn, a part of themselves. A new chapter in history had opened at the cost of another's end.
Sasuke looks down at the bustling city from the Uchiha's campgrounds. Today he will learn if the cost has been worth the gain. Today he will live in Konoha. A silent thrill rushes through him. He bites back a scream of excitement as he helps his mother finish cleaning the dishes. The sunrise is a Sharigan red.
"Are you ready?" she prods.
Sasuke nods, packing and repacking his school bag. Father will be back from his meeting soon. He'd promised to walk with Sasuke on his first day. When he has finished his task, he looks up at his mother. "Do you think Naruto will be there?"
"I imagine so," his mother says. "Kakashi-san," -san because the Uchiha recognize no other leader than their own, "raised the graduation age. I imagine Naruto will be finishing his second- to-last year now."
Sasuke grins. Perfect.
The walk to the academy is oddly somber. Where Sasuke must fight back the urge to rush forward, his father seems to lag. Every now and then he stops, takes a look at a street corner or a particular cobblestone before continuing. Sasuke fights back the need to question. His father is a good man. A kind man. A loving father. Sasuke knows the dreams his father has for him. But his father has never left him to stumble his way forward. But Sasuke has learned his father is ultimately a private man. He will speak to Sasuke if he wishes. And he will speak to his wife when he returns home.
When they arrive, the academy is not what Sasuke expects. It is squat. Hidden somewhere between two alleyways and surrounded not by trees, but streets and their marketplaces. Nothing like his books had suggested where there are open areas for play and beautiful sakura blossoms forever falling from the sky. But it is still amazing. A whole building just for learning. The thought makes Sasuke envious. Konoha children are so lucky to just come and learn all day.
He has seen enough of the world to know it is a rarity.
"Be careful, Sasuke," Itachi urges him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Sasuke frowns, looking up and up at his father. "Is there danger?"
His father thinks for a moment. "Complacency," he says. "We are meant for the road," he reminds Sasuke.
Sasuke nods. He knows this.
He knows this.
.
Naruto waves Sasuke over, throwing a pointed glance at Inoji so the blond boy moves over. "So what do you think?" Naruto presses the minute Sasuke sits down.
Sasuke smiles, "Hello Naruto."
He has a soft voice, Naruto decides. Like Hinata-sama when she was allowed to talk to him and like his mother after a long day at work. Glancing around the classroom, he grins as his classmates stare openly and without shame. After all, he, Naruto Uzumaki, has made friends with an Uchiha. Who else could say that? He grins. He sits closer and repeats his question.
Sasuke thinks for a moment. "I don't know yet," he answers.
Naruto imagines that is fair.
Konoha is a strange place. Naruto likes to think he has seen it at its best and worst. He knows sometimes he cannot make up his mind about this home. The teacher and the headmaster, an elderly man named Iruka-sensei, steps in. "Uchiha-san," Iruka-sensei greets, "Could you please come here?"
Sasuke stands, leaving his books where he'd unpacked them, and walks to the Headmaster's side. Iruka-sensei coughs for a moment and Sasuke waits, patient. So does the rest of the class.
When he's done, he clears his throat, "Everyone, this is Sasuke Uchiha."
The class buzzes and a few behind Naruto gasp. "I ask you help him and make him feel welcome. Sasuke, would you like to introduce yourself?"
Sasuke nods, a little jerky, before smiling at the class. "Hello everyone. My name is Sasuke Uchiha, son of Itachi Uchiha. I have been training since I was very young and specialize in healing and seals. Please take good care of me." He bows, just a little bow of his head like his father. The girls giggle.
Naruto frowns.
Sasuke returns to his seat. Haru-sensei starts teaching. Leaning over, Sasuke whispers, "Did I do alright?"
"Hmm?"
Sasuke blushes, "I've never been to school before. But I read that's what you're supposed to do…"
Naruto grins. He takes Sasuke's hand in his own and whispers. "You did great."
The girl next to him hisses something to her friend. Naruto bites back a sneer. Sasuke squeezes his hand in thanks.
.
After school, Sasuke steals Naruto away. Their camp is coming along. It will take another day to set up completely. Set up is always longer when they plan to stay in a village for longer. His father doesn't want to. Part of Sasuke has to wonder why they came to Konoha for the festival to begin with. But nonetheless there are graves to be visited and a festival to set up so there is a chance they will stay past the red moon.
He explains all of this to Naruto.
"I had no idea it took so much work to set up camp," Naruto admits, "I've been camping with Kaka-sensei and Mama, but it's only for a little bit."
Sasuke thinks on this. "We have more people," he settles on finally.
Naruto nods.
The camp is initially quieter than Sasuke expects. Despite the hour it seemed most were still out enjoying the village. Sadara, one of the few who'd married into the Uchiha and stayed after the wonder wore off, has no attachments to Konoha. It is not a surprise to find her by the beginnings of the kitchen, cutting firewood. "Sadara," Sasuke introduces, drowning when he has to drag Naruto forward. There has been nothing to imply he is shy before. "This is my new friend, Naruto."
"Naruto, this is my aunt, Sadara."
Naruto tried for a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
She smiles at him but it is sad. "I did not expect to meet family so soon," she says in place of introduction and Naruto makes a startled, wounded sound. Sasuke frowns.
"You're a Hyuuga," Naruto whispers. He reaches out for a steadying hand and finds Sasuke's.
Sadara shakes her head, no. Her stare turns hard, the veins in her face bulging in the way Sasuke knows means trouble or danger. "I am an Uchiha. I left. I married a new clan.
"How?"
She smiles at him, secretive, and Sasuke is certain he should not be listening to this. "I ran."
.
Later that night as the clan sits close around the dinner campfire, Sasuke asks for clarification. Naruto fidgets, picks at his food and then sighs before admitting, "I'm a bastard of the Hyuuga, the greatest of all the Konoha clans." There is a sneer in his voice, contempt for these Hyuuga.
"The Uchiha do not allow bastards," Sasuke confesses after a moment considering. There is a call for seconds and Sasuke offers both his and Naruto's plates.
Naruto snorts, self-deprecating and somewhat amused, "Neither do the Hyuuga."
.
After dinner, Sasuke shows Naruto how they wash and clean for the next day, efficiency at its finest. They have no trouble fitting Naruto into the line of scrape-wash-rinse-dry. Naruto grumbles, "I don't even do this many chores at home."
His father laughs, taking the recently washed plate from Naruto and drying it before handing it to one of his cousins. "With that sort of attitude, nothing would ever get done," his tone is light, but Naruto ducks his head, cheeks dusted pink. They are both aware enough to know a scolding when they hear one.
"Eh…Uchiha-sama," Naruto starts and then stops, looking at Sasuke as if asking for permission. Sasuke shrugs.
"Yes, Naruto," his father gently urges. Sasuke finishes cleaning one of his plates and hands it to his mother to dry.
"In school we learned about the Uchiha," Naruto starts, "But… but they said you guys were all really cool warriors. Not… not healers."
Sasuke looks up at his father when his father does not say a word. He looks to be thinking and suddenly his eyes find Sasuke's. But Sasuke knows this look, knows that when his father looks at him with such longing and grief that he is not seeing Sasuke, but his namesake, his brother. The revered and dearly missed Sasuke Uchiha the First. Sasuke looks away. He can never look at his father when he looks like this.
"When we left," his father finally says. "we were indeed a people of great renowned for our fighting skills, but… on the road the need for healers became more important than the need for fighters."
"Unaffiliated healers take an oath of doing no ill will unless forced," his mother continues, "And the Uchiha have always been a people of our word. Now we teach that oath to our children and to our children's children. We can fight," his mother continues. "But if we must not, we will not. Does that answer your question, Naruto?"
Naruto nods, thinking.
.
After that it becomes common for Naruto to come over for dinner. Sometimes he brings his mother. Sometimes he does not. Once he brought Kaka-sensei and it was fun hearing Uchiha-sama and Kaka-sensei recall stories from when they were younger when he usually only relaxed with his Mama and him. Good for the old man's blood pressure.
.
It is a month later, when Sasuke has fallen into something like a routine and their camp is well established, that he feels hands on him as his way back from school. Besides him, Naruto cries out. Words mangled as hands presses against his side and then Sasuke sees a blade.
The world stills. Naruto stills. The blade presses closer to his neck and Sasuke takes a deep, stuttering breath.
"No screaming," a feminine voice whispers in his ear and suddenly they are no longer on the forest path to the Uchiha campgrounds but in the woods where the trees are too thick and no one would see them by chance. The hand against his mouth leaves and Sasuke says the first thing that comes to mind. "Let him go."
The man holding the blade laughs.
"I won't fight if you let him go." Sasuke could. He knows enough fire jutsu to at least cause a scene. His hands aren't bound and the woman is foolish, standing so close. He has a small dagger sown into his sleeve that he could use if necessary. He's fast enough to use it if it becomes necessary. But the man holding the blade is also holding Naruto in a would-be chock hold. Sasuke will not risk blood if he does not have to.
Naruto stares at him, red eyes wide and terrified, and Sasuke feels sick. This is his fault. They're after him, aren't they? This is not the first time he has almost been kidnapped. This is the first time someone has gotten so close.
"Alright sweetheart," the woman says and then suddenly his vision is going dark and he fights it because they haven't let Naruto go. They haven't… They…
As his knees go weak, he hears the woman say, "Knock out the other one. We can get something for the eyes."