Chapter 1:
The atmosphere was tense when Sasuke made his way into the classroom. Some of his fellow students regarded him nervously, conveying their own fears about the upcoming selections. Many shot him looks of quiet resentment, one among them being Kiba Inuzuka. He paid them no attention as he took his regular seat by the window.
The other students chatted together nervously for a couple minutes, before Iruka finally made his appearance through the front door of the classroom. He looked uncharacteristically grim, as he made his way to the front podium.
Sasuke and his classmates listened intently.
"Today, some of you will be taking your first steps towards becoming official Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf," he said formally. Iruka's tone contained none of its usual playfulness, making his speech seem all the more serious.
"Now, before I list off those who have been accepted to the advanced ROOT training program, let me say that it has been a personal honor teaching each and every one of you." The man said resolutely, nodding his head in deference. Some of the students found themselves nodding in return. It was humbling to see their teacher so uptight.
Iruka took a deep breath, before beginning his calls.
"Chouji Akimichi!"
The rotund boy stood up proudly, and made his way to the front of the classroom. Some shot him angry looks, expressing their anger at not having been accepted. One girl, a civilian by the name of Azuka, was wiping her eyes furiously.
Once the boy had taken his position, Iruka continued his callings.
"Hinata Hyuuga!"
"Ino Yamanaka!"
"Kiba Inuzuka!"
When Kiba was called, he shot a smirk at the seated former Uchiha. Sasuke, of course, said nothing in return.
"Sakura Haruno!"
The pink haired girl looked almost surprised to be called, and she knocked over her chair as she scrambled out of her seat. She cowered under the many glares sent her way, although they were silenced by Iruka's rebuking look.
"Sasuke Nanashi!"
Upon hearing his branded name, the boy got up to his feet slowly, and walked up to take his stand amongst the other accepted students. He stood next to Sakura. The girl shuffled a little towards Kiba, staying away from the dark haired boy.
He gritted his teeth quietly.
Shikamaru was called next, surprising nobody. He'd been taking advanced classes since the day he set foot in the classroom, and it had been clear from the way he walked up resigned, there would be weaseling out of this promotion.
Finally Shino, the quiet Aburame, was called up to the stand. He inclined his head respectfully at Sasuke as he made his walk up, surprising even Iruka. Then, the teacher put down his clipboard with finality.
That was when the rioting started.
Students flew from their chairs angrily, shouting at their former sensei. Others stormed out of the room in tears. Many wore expressions of shame and disappointment, as they slumped against their chairs and on their desks.
Through it all, the scarred Chunin maintained his resolute expression.
It was then that the front door opened to reveal a small figure.
Silence permeated the room instantaneously. The students froze in their positions, rooted to the spot under the spike of killing intent coming from the newcomer. He wore a flat white mask, not quite hiding a mop of messy blond hair. His clothes were a worn matte grey, with a single Kanji emblazoned on his chest.
Root. Origin. Beginning. This boy was one of those trained from birth in the Specialist Program. Next to him, another masked figure stood similarly, although his hair was dark and a sheathed tanto blade was clearly visible on his back.
Iruka roused himself from reverie after a pause, and addressed the two newcomers.
"I take it you are the students Danzo was talking about?"
They both nodded with such synchronicity, it was as though they were not two, but one fluid being. Iruka nodded at them in return before regarding the rest of the classroom.
"Class dismissed!"
The other students shuffled slowly out of the room. Many turned back to look nervously at the two Root members. One girl stumbled over the chair that Sakura had knocked over in her haste. After she moved past, the chair flickered for a moment, before correcting itself to sit behind the desk.
The accepted students looked on confused. Only Sasuke and Iruka had seen the blond haired boy blur slightly, before returning to his rigid stand.
Sasuke's expression narrowed as he regarded the boy out of the corner of his eye.
The mask merely turned at him slightly, before returning back to its rigid, motionless position.
It was then that another Chunin, wearing a smirk under his white hair, appeared at the doorway.
"Come. They're waiting for you." he said simply.
After they had walked down many corridors in the now-deserted Academy, the finally came to a pair of large oaken doors. They were worn and textured, from many years of use.
The man pushed the door open, and they strode inside.
Sasuke looked closely at those already present. These were the failed students from the last round of promotions. He could see another Hyuuga there, grim as ever, along with a white haired teen with large round glasses.
The room was an auditorium of sorts, with a single raised platform in the room. The assembled Genin and students waited patiently in silence.
Then, he arrived.
The man stalked with the air of righteous nobility, radiating authority around him. At his sides, two grey-cloaked and masked men strode, perfectly in synch with their master.
Danzo Shimura walked down the platform to regard the students critically. Many refused to meet the man's gaze.
Many, but not Sasuke.
When the eyes of the old veteran moved to regard the former Uchiha, he did not flinch or turn away, but stared unblinking back.
There was a tense pause, before the man continued his look past the boy.
Finally, he spoke.
"Today, you become a Shinobi," he began, "and a part of the Roots which support both the peace, and the prosperity you have had the fortune to grow up in. Together, you represent the very peak of achievement the academy has to offer."
His face split into a cruel smile.
"But if you believe this guarantees your success, you are a fool."
A couple of the assembled students shuffled uncomfortably. Sakura especially seemed to quiver under the harsh gaze of the Hokage.
"Iruka tells me you have mastered the basic skills of a shinobi. That you have learned what you need to survive out there against the enemy. Now however, it is time for you to develop your skills to better suit the needs of yourself and your team, past what we have given to you."
His eyes burned suddenly with unrestrained fury.
"You think you are shinobi? You think you are prepared to sacrifice your very life for this village?"
The words were spoken with terrible malice.
"You think you are ready?"
He slammed his fist down on the oaken stand, sending a thunderclap of sound through the room. All the collected students, young and old, flinched at the sudden sound.
"This is a Shinobi!" The Hokage yelled.
What happened next could only be described as carnage, as the two masked men blurred out of existence, only to reappear in the midst of the children. They attacked with ruthless ferocity and efficiency, sparing no wasted movements as the dispatched one student after another.
The children fell like dominoes under the surprise attack, and the men knocked them unconscious one after another, in most cases using nothing more than a single blow.
A chop to the neck. A fist to the chest. The sheer fluidity and efficiency was like a dance. The figures were hardly recognizable as human, amidst the blurring of motion and the swirl of their cloaks.
Sasuke felt himself go flying towards the floor, only to be caught with a kick to the stomach, sending him rocketing back into the air.
The pain was agonizing. It felt like his stomach had been forced up into his lungs. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think...
Then he hit the floor with a crunch, and burning needles of pain punctured through the boy's arm. He screamed despite himself, letting out the little air he still held in his lungs.
He could do nothing but remain huddled over his crippled arm, as a small pool of blood began to form under him.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the pain disappeared.
They were still standing.
Sasuke felt deep disorientation after the shock of it. A quick look around revealed the others felt the same.
"Let that be a lesson to you," the aged Hokage said without a hint of sympathy. Next to him, one of the cloaked men lowered his right hand, the simple seal it had formed disappearing.
"This is what it means to be a Shinobi. One solely devoted to serving and protecting the village. Perhaps one day, some of you will reach this height."
He clenched the oak podium.
"Today, you will be organized into Squads. From this moment forward, you will take control of your own training. The village does not have resources to spend training hopefuls. You must prove your resourcefulness if you want to remain a part of this organization."
As he turned away from the podium to leave, he said one more thing.
"Only one squad will advance. Ensure it is yours."
Then, the three of them were gone, a swirl of dust left behind being the only suggestion that they had ever been there at all.
The white-haired Chunin coughed nervously.
"Alright then, the Squads shall be as follows."
He read off.
"Squad Eleven will consist of Nami, Sai, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuuga, and Ino Yamanaka."
As they were called, the two Root trainee and the veterans strode to one side of the room. After a pause, Ino followed.
"Squad Eight will consist of Shikamaru Nara, Tenten Yukari, Chouji Akimichi, Yoroi Akado, and Hinata Hyuuga. Finally, Squad Seven will consist of Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Nanashi, and Kabuto Yakushi."
The man flickered away, and the students were left alone.
"Hmph. To think I'd be stuck with you of all people," Kiba muttered. Next to him, Sasuke felt similarly.
"Alright then!" the white haired boy said cheerfully. "I happen to know where our training ground is, so follow me if you will."
The warehouse was massive, completely bare save for a handful of boxes that had been left by the main entrance. The walls were made of an aged wood, and dust swirled around as they entered the single room.
An unpatched hole in the roof let sunlight stream in and illuminate a patch of the wooden ground, catching brilliantly on the various flecks of dust in its path.
Patches of grass and vegetation rose up between the cracked floorboards. In one place, the floor was missing entirely.
"What a dump," Kiba summed up.
Kabuto smiled sheepishly. "This is actually better than what we had last year. That time they just dropped us off in one of the forested training grounds; took us hours to find our way back to the road."
"That wouldn't have been so bad," Shino said quietly.
Sasuke however, had immediately taken note of the boxes stacked to the side. After a pause he strode over to them, and started neatly breaking them open.
The first two yielded basic Ninja Tools, such as shuriken, kunai, and other assorted items. Mixed in with these however, were weapons unfamiliar to the former Uchiha.
A shuriken chain between two handles. A blade with jagged teeth-like knives pointed outwards. Two knuckle grips shaped like small blades.
All the while, Kiba eyed him darkly.
The third box held a number of scrolls, all the same size and shape, tied neatly with variously colored ribbons. After a pause, Sasuke realized that they likely contained techniques, meaning that the color differences referred to Chakra Affinities.
He knew from the nature test at the academy, that his two were Fire and Lightning. He picked up one of the yellow-tied scrolls, and tucked it under one arm.
"Lightning, huh?" Kabuto said curiously. "Wouldn't have guessed that to be honest. It's the most rare of all the types."
Nanashi nodded, lost in his own thought.
"Perhaps it would be wise to make an account of all of our abilities?" Shino suggested.
"I'll start it off then," said the boy with glasses.
"My name's Kabuto, as you already know. I've been in the Squad rounds for three years now, and seen a lot of battle rounds and strategies."
He scratched the back of his head absentmindedly.
"I'm not the best, but I do know all of the basic functional jutsu well enough to teach, I think. I also know some medical jutsu, and am fairly well versed in poisons."
He gave a small chuckle.
"Those woods came in handy for that. I'm also effective in Taijutsu, although certainly not on the level of a clan specialist. Beyond that..."
"I do know a handful of Genjutsu."
The entire team perked up at this; even Kiba. Sasuke's mind went spinning.
Genjutsu would ordinarily be a game changer in the rounds, but they'd had the misfortune to be pitted against teams with Hyuugas. The Root Specialists could probably brush off any illusion entirely, while the Nara would notice a change like that immediately.
His expression soured.
And of course, it would be barely a single battle before their enemies would be working on reliable Genjutsu counters. In the back of Sasuke's mind, he found a part of himself noting the parallels between the Squad System and what he'd learned about their history.
This was how battles were raged between great Shinobi Villages.
It was humbling.
Itachi had told him once that originally new Shinobi were sent on missions along with a Jonin Sensei. However, the Fifth Hokage had abolished that, along with many other traditional procedures.
He argued that not only was it a waste of Jonin, but also added unnecessary risk to the training of students. Eventually, it was decided that they would face their peers in combat, to develop advanced strategies and become adaptable. Once they had reached an acceptable level, they would be prepared for B-Ranked Missions.
The new system was an incredible success, with Itachi being among one of the first graduating teams.
They'd thought father would be proud.
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Sasuke looked around to see the others were looking at him.
He gave a slight shrug, and spoke, not letting his emotions filter through.
"My name is Sasuke," he said somewhat unnecessarily. "My main strengths lie in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. As a mid-range fighter, my capabilities are limited by my proximity to the enemy. As such, I plan on learning long-range Ninjutsu before the first battle, to complement my shuriken and kunai throwing."
With that, he went silent.
Kiba grumbled slightly, and spoke up next.
"Kiba Inuzuka. I'm the best at taijutsu." He looked pointedly at Sasuke for this. "And don't need anything else. I can track my enemies for miles, and Akamaru here can assist in my Clan Techniques."
The small dog gave a dutiful bark, from his perch on the boy's head.
There was a pause.
"Um…" Sakura began. "I'm pretty good with shuriken and kunai, I guess. I know substitutions and clones too, as well as-"
Kiba interrupted.
"The only reason she's here is because she did well on the tests, and everyone else there was even worse than her," he said with obvious distain.
Sakura quivered.
"She doesn't have a clan, and doesn't know anything outside of the standard core. In essence, she has no special skills at all."
By the time he had finished, Sakura was already gone.
Sasuke had watched her leave emotionlessly.
"That's..." Kabuto stammered. "I mean, we all have room to improve. I'm sure she'll pick things up quickly."
The boy merely shrugged.
"Whatever. As long as she doesn't get in my way."
"My name is Shino," the last figure said tonelessly. "My skills derive from my Kikaichu, which are hosted in my body. Their abilities range from clone techniques, to tracking, to draining chakra from the enemy. They can transfer poisons, as well as-"
"Yeah yeah. We get it. Your bugs are real useful," Kiba growled.
Shino merely nodded his head.
"Well." Kabuto said. "I can start by teaching you guys some of the more basic Jutsu used in the rounds."
Sasuke and Shino nodded, but Kiba stalked to the door angrily.
Kabuto called after him. "I think you'll find these to be rather useful!"
The boy responded with a single dismissing wave of his hand.
He walked off, and didn't come back.
"Shunshin," Sasuke muttered, as he sprinted across the wooden floors of the warehouse.
Instantly, his powered legs burned with energy, and he found himself moving with a swiftness he had never even dreamed of.
The very world around him seemed to dissolve into blurred lines, as he tunneled through the very air itself with the wind being blasted around his very body,
Then he slammed shoulder-first into a wall.
He yelled in pain, clutching his now disfigured shoulder. Blood seeped through his blue shirt, painting it a dark purple. He fell to his knees, desperately clutching the self-inflicted wound.
There was a flicker, and then Kabuto was next to him, his hands already cloaked in green translucent chakra.
"Hold still," he said simply, and began moving his hands across the shoulder, all the while frowning in deep concentration. Sasuke knelt for several minutes as the older boy repaired the damage caused by the impact.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the teen stood up.
"That should fix it, although I'd recommend checking in with the hospital tonight," he said knowingly.
Sasuke said nothing, but nodded after a pause.
Inside, he was churning in rage at his own failure. His first day on his own, and he was already injuring himself.
It was pathetic.
Perhaps sensing his mood, Kabuto spoke up.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," he said. "One of the reasons they don't teach this in the academy, is because an impact can be fatal. At least, if you hit the wrong way. We lost a teammate learning this one; he hit his forehead on the wall. Never woke up again."
By this point, Shino had made his way over to stand next to the pair. He'd only had enough chakra to attempt the technique twice, although he'd managed to avoid any collisions. Then again, he hadn't traveled far either.
Sasuke got up to his feet, and stared resolutely at the door.
He closed his eyes in concentration.
Then, he exploded forward, shaking the old wooden walls with the force of his movement. One of the boxes fell over, spilling kunai and shuriken across a part of the floor. The scroll he had set down blew away, hitting the one of the front walls of the warehouse.
When Kabuto and Shino ran out to see him, Sasuke was kneeling.
Around him, in the dirt, was a perfect circle.
The sunlight glinted brilliantly off the grey-haired boy's glasses.
"That was really something," he said with a grin. "I take it you've been training your muscles for a long time?"
"Yeah," he said in reply.
"That explains it then. The Shunshin relies strongly on the physical chakra aspect," the teen continued. "If you can manage to control that, you'll be one of the fastest people out there."
Sasuke bared white teeth in a malicious grin for barely a second, though it didn't go unnoticed by his companions.
Then, it morphed back into his regular flat expression.
"Thanks," he said without inflection.
Kabuto nodded in response.
Inside though, the former Uchiha's mind was whirring.
Soon, it would be time to show the village what he could do.
When Sasuke came to the familiar hospital room, there was someone else there.
He stood by the bed, appearing tall against the window and curtains in the room. His hair was a deep black, but not as deep as the cloak that seemed to always be writhing around him, from some intangible breeze.
On the back of this cloak, stark against its color, was the red and white fan of the Uchiha.
The figure stopped his quiet speech, and looked back with his uncovered eye to see Sasuke's accusing glare.
"What's he doing here?" the boy asked angrily.
In response, the man reached out a hand to touch Sasuke's shoulder, but he jerked backwards avoiding the gesture.
The one-eyed figure sighed, and turned back to regard Itachi again.
"Just... promise me you'll think it over, alright?"
Itachi inclined his head slightly, and the man strode past Sasuke out the door.
He sent a single sympathetic look backwards, before leaving them alone.
"That was very rude of you."
Sasuke shot his sibling a concerned glance.
"What did he want with us?" the boy asked, not quite filtering out his worried tone.
"It's not important. Besides, Shisui is a friend."
"A friend?"
The word was ejected with such malice it seemed to cut through the very air of the room.
"He cast us out, cast you out, for something we didn't even do."
"It was necessary."
Itachi's voice brooked no argument.
"I'm sorry Sasuke, but you will have to trust me when I say Shisui had his reasons."
"Reasons."
A thick silence permeated the room.
The two brothers looked into each other's eyes for a long while.
"Fine. I won't press," Sasuke said.
Itachi smiled.
"But don't expect me to forgive him."
The smile fell away like a house of cards. Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, and a small tint of red bled through the ordinarily black eyes.
"If that is your choice," he said flatly.
There was no compassion in the voice.
It wasn't cold exactly, but it lacked the warmth that Itachi's tone usually held.
In that moment, the boy felt sudden fear, as desperation and pride fought in a desperate battle for control.
He didn't have anyone else.
He was alone.
"That reminds me. I have something to show you," Sasuke said, obviously trying to lighten the mood.
With that, he spun around and ran out the door, flying down the stairs.
Once he got outside, he waved up at the window housing his brother. Itachi noticed immediately, and turned to watch him, expression unreadable.
Sasuke faced his target, a small clearing between two trees in the garden, and sped in an instant into the blistering speed of the Shunshin. He flew forward as the world once again blurred, and the chaotic pull of wind tugged at him as he flew through the air, not even touching the ground below.
It was then that his right foot caught the ground, and sent the boy tumbling and rolling for several yards, before collapsing in a heap before the clearing.
The graveled dirt path carved at his face and arms ferociously, but that was nothing compared to the sheer rage and anger he felt at his own failure. Sasuke climbed to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster, only to feel his leg give out under him, sending him back to his knees.
The humiliation burned. It tore at his insides. Internally screaming at himself, Sasuke stumbled to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain in his ankle.
The soft chuckles of those bystanders who had seen his stunt made him want to scream.
Unwilling to face his brother, Sasuke turned and drudged his way home slowly, glaring daggers at all who met his gaze.
And so it was that Sasuke Nanashi, son of traitors, made a promise then and there to himself, as he limped home with all the pride he still held.
He'd show them all.