Author's Note: My reasons for not updating for a while have already been posted in my other ongoing multichapter story, but in case some of you don't follow or read it, I was dealing with many personal issues during that time. I planned on finishing this and updating last week but I became sick and am just now really getting rid of it. Thanks to you for being patient and for your support! Please enjoy!
Sasuke followed the young Kurushimi and Kenshi a short distance from behind, wondering why in the world he was seeing his enemies like this. "What the heck happened? One second I was about to be tortured in the hideout and the next I'm in the middle of a forest with my enemies in their early teenage years. This appears to be their memories but I'm not absolutely sure at the moment. How did this even happen anyway?" Sasuke's brow creased as he attempted to recall the events before he found himself in an entirely different setting. He remembered looking into Kurushimi's strange eyes and shouting "No", determined not to be toyed with anymore. Then he saw both of his enemies' faces contort into expressions of shock and horror but everything after that was a blank. Now, the Uchiha was here, wherever here was. He had to admit, the place was somewhat familiar to him though. But where in the world had he seen it? When? The Uchiha had so many unanswered questions and it was beginning to irritate him. "The only choice I really have is to follow these two and see what happens," he concluded.
Sasuke shifted his gaze upward and matched the boys' traveling pace. The last thing he remembered before waking up in this place was the image of Kenshi and Kurushimi's horrified faces, mainly Kurushimi's. "He said he was going to alter my memories or at least test an ability of the sort. I can recall a place resembling this one in my memory, but definitely not them as kids. They're older than me, so it doesn't make sense. It almost seemed like..." Sasuke hesitated for a moment. "... like it backfired..."
"Hurry up Kurushimi! We're almost there and I'm getting hungry!" Kenshi said, speeding up. The two boys ran through the brush and into an open area, Sasuke right on their heels.
The Uchiha recognized this environment even more than the others they had raced through, but where from? As they continued to run through the clearing, a small building started to become visible through the rain. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the sight and saw that the small building was a cabin.
Suddenly, the boys stopped in their tracks, also noticing the cabin. "Man, I left my bag in there from earlier. It kept annoying me," Kenshi groaned.
"What's with you and that old cabin?" Kurushimi asked as his friend ran towards the door to the place.
Kenshi smirked and peered over his shoulder. "I'm using it as my evil lair," he joked, throwing the door open and retrieving his bag.
Sasuke stiffened at the realization. That was where he knew this place from. The cabin was where he had first met his enemies, Kurushimi and Kenshi. It was where his first battle with the two had taken place, where it all began. He didn't have much time to ponder as Kenshi was back in a matter of seconds and they were off once more.
Sakura carefully stalked through the cold caves, clinging to the damp walls and hardly daring to breathe at every corner. So far, the kunoichi had not encountered anyone in the hideout besides the two brutes just outside. In fact, it was sort of weird to her. With about a thousand men, according to one of the elites Sasuke brutally murdered on the last battlefield, she expected at least a few to be roaming the paths. Now that the Haruno thought about the odd occurrence, she realized that not a single door or door-shaped opening had come into view upon entering the hideout. "Everything concerning Kurushimi and/or Kenshi is odd," Sakura thought, pausing at yet another corner. "I wonder how close I am to Sasuke. I can't detect any chakra signatures in here. I hope he's okay." She inwardly sighed. "Why does he have to be so stubborn?"
Sakura paused her thinking for a few moments, listening for any noise or sound coming from around the corner. When she heard only silence besides her breathing, the kunoichi took a short peek and cautiously stepped into the open, walking as quietly as possible down the path. "It's starting to get brighter," she noted, squinting at the luminous area peeking out from behind the next turn. "Looks like I'm finally getting somewhere," Sakura thought with half a sense of relief, the other half taken up by caution. Her heart rate increased slightly as she reached the other side, pressing her back against the cave wall. She was grateful that Sasuke left his cloak before departing once more. It provided an extra layer of protection from the cold cave temperatures and camouflage for the darker areas. Faint sounds of cheering and shouting met the kunoichi's ears, causing the woman to stiffen. Sakura slowly peered around the corner to see a couple of people's backs at the end of the long pathway. "They must be a few of Kurushimi's followers," she thought. The Haruno guessed by the words she could make out that they and a lot of others were observing a match taking place. She did not dare venture any closer to the "arena". Curiosity can wait, Sasuke is in trouble. Luckily for her, there was yet another path just a yard or so away leading around the arena. Unfortunately, Sakura had to continue to tread the waters very cautiously considering she didn't know her way around the place. The worst part of it all? Sasuke's whereabouts were a complete mystery. All Sakura knew was that he was somewhere in the hideout and that's all it took to keep the determined kunoichi going.
"Kenshi, you've been staring at that photo for ten minutes straight," a young Kurushimi teased, hopping onto his bunk.
The teen swordsman quickly clutched the photo closer to his chest, turning his head away to hide the red coloring settling in his cheeks. At the desk, he stiffened after his friend's accusation. "What of it?!"
"You stare at her in real life, at photos... It's obvious you have a crush on her," Kurushimi stated with a smirk.
Sasuke couldn't stop staring at Kurushimi's completely normal eyes. There were no signs of the purple and blue layers along with his already charcoal black orbs. "How did he obtain whatever those eyes are?" Sasuke wondered. For now though, his only choice was to watch the events taking place. After all, he had no idea how to get back or get out of the situation.
"Maybe I do," Kenshi croaked out defensively. "Akemi doesn't feel the same though, so it doesn't matter."
"Pft, you don't know that. I think she's as head over heels for you as you are for her," Kurushimi responded, rolling onto his side. "You should invite Akemi over some time or ask her on a date."
The blond immediately became a darker shade of red and laughed nervously. "I uh, I dunno. Do you think it'll be okay with your parents?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" came the dark-haired male's muffled voice.
A frown formed on Kenshi's unscarred face as he shrugged. "Akemi asks about my parents sometimes... She wants to meet them and hang out with me..."
Kurushimi rolled back over, facing his friend's back. "You never told her?"
"No... I don't like to talk about them much. You know that Kurushimi."
Silence.
Sasuke listened intently to his young enemies' conversation, his interest sparked by the boy's claim. The Uchiha leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and eyes gazing at the swordsman's back.
Kenshi clenched his fists and slammed them on top of the desk, his teeth gritted in anger. "They didn't have to die, no, be murdered! In a senseless war no less!"
Kurushimi didn't know how to respond to the outburst. His lips separated but no sound escaped them. The boy just laid there, watching his friend's back.
Kenshi sighed and let his shoulders relax, the tension in his body slackening greatly. "Sorry... I just miss them. Anyway, I haven't told you and your parents thank you enough for taking me in. I don't know where I would be if you guys didn't."
"Don't worry about it. Anything for a friend," Kurushimi replied with a troubled frown. He shifted positions so that he was lying on his back, arms crossed behind his head.
"All of you have become family to me," Kenshi said, turning around and flashing a large smile.
Once again, Kurushimi was at a loss for words. Instead of saying anything, he returned the male's smile with a grin of his own.
Suddenly, the scene changed, forcing Sasuke to jump away from his position leaning against the disappearing wall. The Uchiha looked around as another environment began to form. The dark-haired male stood in place for a moment until he could make out the setting. Around him, what seemed to be a ninja academy finished shifting into place. Sasuke's mismatched eyes landed on the familiar face of teenage Kenshi, slightly older than before, but not much. He was sitting on the steps leading to the entrance, a beautiful young girl right next to him. The other academy students of varied ages were settled in groups throughout the area, but Sasuke could not pick out anyone that looked like Kurushimi. He returned his attention back to Kenshi and the girl, studying her appearance. She was a long-haired brunette with blue eyes and kind features, a slim but fit body for a young kunoichi.
"So, uh," Kenshi began nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "Akemi, would you like to hang out some time tomorrow? Or just whenever you like! You pick the day!" the blond boy finished, his entire face becoming the color of an apple.
The girl named Akemi giggled and gently took one of Kenshi's shaking hands, causing the boy to turn an even darker shade of red, hardly daring to breathe.
"Sure, tomorrow works," she answered simply with a soft voice, giving his hand a light squeeze.
Kenshi heaved a big sigh of relief and managed a small smile, too afraid to fully entwine their hands.
"I finally get to meet your parents," she stated excitedly, returning the smile.
All the life faded from Kenshi's body in an instant. The hand she held became limp and his grin morphed into a frown. Before she could express her concern, Kenshi interrupted, saying, "Yeah, about that, there's something I haven't told you yet. I've been too scared of what you'll think or say..."
Akemi cupped his cheek, forcing him to turn her way. "Kenshi, you kn-"
"Look everyone! This loser thinks he can fight me!" shouted a husky masculine voice.
Kenshi, Akemi, and Sasuke simultaneously peered in the direction of the interruption. The swordsman furrowed his brow while standing up slowly, his gaze on the forming circle of classmates around the boy who had shouted. "Come on," he told Akemi, jogging towards the cluster of people. She quickly followed her friend, curiosity lining both their features. Sasuke reached the circle of ninjas just after Kenshi and Akemi did. He couldn't see even though he was taller than most of the shinobi because there were so many pushing and shoving to gain a decent view. Sighing, the Uchiha literally walked through everyone in his way, making it to the center in no time. Before he could observe the situation, a fist came flying towards him. Sasuke jumped out of the way and immediately cursed himself afterwards. It was instinct to dodge even if it went straight through him, which it would have. The Uchiha whirled around and his gaze landed on a bulky young male, around the same age as Kenshi. The male's fist connected with another boy's cheek, sending him flying across the clearing.
"Get up Kurushimi! Keep proving me right about how worthless your dad is!" the brute of a boy taunted, cracking his knuckles. "We all know it, so why do you bother defending him?"
Kurushimi got to his hands and knees, wiping blood off of his busted lip. He angrily clenched his fists and stood up, rushing forward a moment later. "Shut up! You don't know anything about my dad!" Kurushimi's fist fired towards the boy, who caught it with ease.
"He's a joke and so are you," the bulky male responded, pulling Kurushimi closer only to punch him in the stomach. He would have collapsed to the ground if not for the kid gripping his arm. The brute jerked Kurushimi towards him once more, this time punching him in the nose. Kurushimi fell to the dirt, barely moving on the ground. His harsh pants filled the area, the crowd mumbling in discussion or laughing with amusement. The dark-haired male twisted his head to the side so he could capture more air, revealing a bloody nose along with a blackening eye.
Sasuke watched further as the boy grabbed a handful of his enemy's black hair, forcing him to look at him.
"Sh-Shut your mouth Takeshi," Kurushimi's croaked out, trying to crawl away from the male's grip with no luck.
"Ha!" the boy named Takeshi snorted. "You know, I really do feel sorry for you. Having an old man like him must be hard. He's crazy and stupid. Thinking he's an actual scientist, give me a break. Everything he's created has been a failure, and the greatest one of all is you." Before Kurushimi could respond, Takeshi kicked him multiple times. Many people cringed as Kurushimi grunted each time, his increasing agony clear with the sounds. Then, the brute picked him up and tossed him across the clearing. He laughed again, stalking towards the boy feebly attempting to get up. "Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery now."
Sasuke took a few steps closer to gain a better view. He saw the bulky male raise his fist and launch it at the defeated Kurushimi. Suddenly, a flash of clothing appeared in the corner of his eyes and the next instant it was directly behind Takeshi, holding his fist.
"Takeshi, stop now," Kenshi warned darkly, effortlessly restraining the boy's hand.
"Stay out of this Kenshi!" he shouted back, pushing the swordsman away with his free hand.
"Fine, if you want it to go down like this," Kenshi replied, taking out his sword and gazing at Akemi who had crouched beside the fallen Kurushimi.
"I could beat you with my bare hands if I wanted to," Takeshi boasted, pulling out a kunai knife. "But I'd rather beat you into a pulp faster so I can take care of your pitiful friend."
"Suit yourself," Kenshi said, rushing forward a moment later. He easily caught Takeshi off guard, making the boy stumble trying to block the sword with his kunai. Kenshi smirked and performed a leg sweep, managing to get the brute off balance for a second time. He cursed aloud at his inability to force the large male to lose his footing completely. Nonetheless, the young swordsman used the move to his advantage. He slashed Takeshi's hand with the edge of his sword, his opponent dropping the kunai instantly while shouting in pain. Kenshi followed up with a vicious roundhouse kick that nailed Takeshi on the side of his head. The boy crumpled to the ground, barely conscious, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. "If you try something like this again, I won't hold back," Kenshi threatened while wiping the fresh blood off the edge of his sword. The crowd of people jeered and laughed at Takeshi's fallen form, some even clapping for Kenshi. The swordsman sheathed his katana and ran to Akemi and Kurushimi, who had managed to sit up with the assistance of the female.
Sasuke was thoroughly impressed with the young Kenshi's skills. He was very agile and fast even back then it seemed, but the Uchiha could keep up with his movements without using his clan's dojutsu. "These events all occurred prior to the tragedy that, changed, them." Sasuke stood next to the three sitting teens, listening in on their conversation and gazing at the trio whenever something interesting came up.
Akemi gave the battered boy a towel to hold against his bloody lip whilst she studied his swelling eye. "I have some training in medical ninjutsu and such so I should be able to take care of this."
"Thank you Akemi," Kurushimi said. He turned to the other male with an angry expression. "Kenshi, why did you-?!"
"You were getting your butt kicked and I couldn't allow you to humiliate yourself further," Kenshi said emotionlessly.
Kurushimi's frown intensified. "I'm not gonna let people like him say those things and do nothing anymore."
"So it helps by getting beaten to the ground?!" Kenshi fired back.
The injured boy said nothing after this, only watching as Akemi tended to his wounds.
"Just try to stay out of trouble okay?" Kenshi said. "Your parents are gonna start prying soon. We've almost run out of excuses to use."
Sasuke looked on as the scene around him changed. When the environment settled, he was gazing straight at slightly older versions of Kenshi and Akemi. They were sitting on a high tree branch with their legs dangling off the edge. The Uchiha leaped upwards until he was close enough to see and hear the pair.
"Kenshi, are you all right? You've been acting... shut off, lately," Akemi asked with concern, her green eyes gleaming.
The swordsman turned to her with a look of indifference. "Honestly, I don't know," was all he said.
Akemi fell silent for a moment, trying to find the right words. "What's bothering you? You're by yourself a lot these days and..."
"And what?" he questioned, a spark of interest in his features.
"And you don't talk to me as much. I'm sorry if it sounds selfish. I just miss you, and this isn't the real you," she explained.
Kenshi sat still with a light blush settling in his cheeks, mouth ajar. "I... Don't be sorry. I'm the one that should be sorry for being so distant. I guess it's mainly Kurushimi that's troubling me. I'm not sure what happened, but it's almost as if we aren't friends anymore. He doesn't hang out with me as much and he's hardly ever in our room. When he is he doesn't talk to me."
"I'm sure it's not your fault," Akemi reassured. "Maybe Kurushimi just needs time alone."
"Ha, he's had plenty of that," Kenshi snorted with disgust. He sighed and cocked his head in her direction with a fake smile set on his lips. "Let's just forget about him right now."
Akemi blushed lightly and grinned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
For some reason, the conversation between the two shinobi became impossible for Sasuke to hear. He was literally right next to them and saw their lips moving. It continued like this for a while, the pair obviously talking and laughing but with no sound. Irritation steadily coursed through Sasuke's being as time passed, the sudden inability to listen in on their exchanges fueling his anger. For all he knew they could be mentioning important clues or hints as to how events in the future lead up to Kurushimi and Kenshi labeling the Uchiha himself as an enemy. Sasuke leaned closer to the pair, as he thought he heard a word or two. However, this didn't improve the situation, instead only making the faint sounds seem more distant. He raised an eyebrow when Kenshi and Akemi had stopped speaking, judging by how little their lips moved. Confusion began to descend on his mind as the hushed words kept meeting his ears. He still couldn't make out a single word though. Sasuke turned to look over his shoulder and wondered where in the world the source of the sounds was located.
"Kenshi..."
Sasuke returned his head to its original position once he heard Akemi's voice. To his surprise, the pair slowly leaned forward and their lips met. The Uchiha awkwardly watched as they kissed, debating on if he should attempt to find a way out of this, illusion? The situation itself was peculiar. Why was he transported to this world? Why was he able to experience his enemies' memories?
"No!"
The distant shout had been just loud enough for Sasuke to comprehend. He stole a glimpse of the couple prior to rushing in the direction of the distraught call. As he continued to travel towards the sounds, they became increasingly easier to hear with each passing step.
"Please, can't you use someone else?!" pleaded a desperate voice that Sasuke recognized as Kurushimi's.
"I'm heading towards Kurushimi's home," Sasuke realized. The closer he came to his destination, the surroundings became more familiar. From the vision or memory he watched earlier, he could remember some elements of the setting around the family's house and as he drew nearer to the abode, the Uchiha could identify certain abnormalities in the environment that suggested it wouldn't be much longer until he arrived. As he had presumed, the house came into his line of sight not half a minute later. Sasuke rushed towards the front door and reached for the knob, but another cry led him to believe that Kurushimi was a bit further away. Retracting his hand, the Uchiha started to move once more. Sasuke went around the corner of the house and the noises became louder. His eyes carefully scanned for the location that they were coming from and an area shielded by a throng of trees caught his attention. He stepped forward a few times and the sounds were indeed coming from that direction. Upon the silent confirmation, Sasuke made it to the secluded place within about ten minutes, shoving past branches and shuffling through bushes until another building came into his line of sight.
"Calm down son, it's over now..." another person said.
Sasuke jogged towards the building and searched for an entrance, finding one on the side of the structure. He entered without hesitation and discovered the teenaged Kurushimi sitting in a chair with cuffs around his wrists. Sasuke moved so that he could get a closer view of the scene and noticed that the boy's hands tightly gripped the chair where they were restrained, his head down and hair covering his eyes.
A man turned to face the young Kurushimi with his hands shaking. "Remember that this will all be worth it. You'll become more powerful and then we can show them, the entire village, that we aren't worthless."
"It hurts Dad!" Kurushimi sobbed, gritting his teeth and convulsing in pain.
"I know, but you have to fight through it son!" Kurushimi's father responded, gripping the boy's shoulder and giving him a reassuring squeeze. The elder man shakily pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and walked back to where he was previously stationed. The man's hair was steadily becoming grey, Sasuke perceived. He was also balding judging by the patches of thinner hair appearing on his head. The Uchiha slowly stepped past Kurushimi and caught sight of the multiple tears falling into his lap, sobs reaching his ears once more.
"I... I want to be able to hang out w-with Kenshi and Akemi again," Kurushimi choked out through a strangled breath.
The man ceased his movements at the counter, his breath hitching and hands gripping the table's edge tightly. While the room was filled with silence except for Kurushimi's recurring sobs, Sasuke took the opportunity to peer at the table Kurushimi's father was standing in front of. There were many containers, beakers, and test tubes, empty and full, scattered about the surface of the wooden table. There were two specific containers that caught his gaze, one full of a light blue liquid that had a sort of glow to it and the other also light blue but with a tinge of orange.
"Kurushimi... everything will be better... I promise," the greying male reassured his son calmly. "Just hang on for now."
Sasuke's curious gaze shifted from the cluttered piece of furniture to Kurushimi once again, watching as the boy settled down and slowly raised his head. The Uchiha's mismatched orbs widened once they caught sight of the younger male's eyes. "That's..."
"Rinnegan," Kurushimi's father said absentmindedly as he began to release his son's restraints. "I've been working so long to figure out how to create it from Sharingan. Of course, I'm not exactly sure of the powers that it'll grant you, but-"
"Sh-Sharingan?" Kurushimi said in disbelief. He paused for a moment to rub his raw wrists after they were free from their confinements. "The dojutsu possessed by an Uchiha?"
His father nodded in confirmation, staring at the teen as if he were scared, paranoid even.
Kurushimi narrowed his now purple eyes. "How did you get them? Y-You didn't-?!" he started, his voicing rising an octave.
"No! No no no I'd never kill anyone," the man immediately defended himself while adjusting his glasses. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and let out a short chuckle. "Not like I could ever fight an Uchiha and win anyway. While I was out on my trip a year ago, I had unintentionally ventured into what was recently a warzone it seemed... The environment was severely marred and there were only a few bodies. I hurriedly checked to see if there were any survivors, but all had been killed unfortunately. When I reached the last body I kneeled beside it and searched for a pulse or heartbeat, but of course there was none at that point. Then, as I was just about to depart from the scene and report it to the nearest village, I caught sight of the crest on the victim's back. He was an Uchiha. I figured I couldn't let the rare opportunity pass, so I took his eyes and stored them in a safe place. Since then I've been conducting experiments, careful not to damage them."
Kurushimi relaxed slightly, the tension in his shoulders having decreased. He averted his tired gaze to the side and asked, "Did you ever determine the cause for the battle?"
"After the nearest village investigated the scene and took into account other discoveries, they reached the conclusion that the Uchiha had a conflict with the local 'top gang' of the town. He apparently traveled alone and when things reached their breaking point a viscous fight broke out between him and some of the head members. The Uchiha killed all four of them and died there, too. My guess is that he and the last member standing traded death blows and that's how the whole incident came to its end," he explained in detail. "I assume the Uchiha might have been a rogue."
Kurushimi asked no further questions after the man gave his account of what he witnessed. He only remained seated, the longing to be with his friends clear in his facial expression.
Sasuke quirked an eyebrow as the scene shifted multiple times, displaying images of things such as Kenshi and Akemi and Kurushimi supposedly growing his hair out to hide his currently purple eyes. Sasuke found the occurrence odd because since he'd been stuck in his enemies' memories for some unknown reason, there had been no significant time skips such as the one happening at that moment, or at least he perceived that was what was going on. As the Uchiha studied the continuously morphing environment he picked up on some of the events ensuing during the time lapse. For one, he perceived Akemi and Kenshi were to the point in their relationship where they could be called a couple. It also seemed as if Kurushimi stayed in solitude most of the time or in the lab where his father's experiments were. Judging by one of the images, he veered away from Kenshi even while his friend was at their home. He grew his dark hair out to the point where his eyes were completely shielded from anyone's view. Sasuke was also aware of the massive feeling of loneliness spreading throughout the air. Finally, the shifts came to a halt and the Uchiha stood staring at an approximately sixteen-year-old Kurushimi, who sat by himself in front of his house, shaded eyes focused on the dirt below.
"You really should get a haircut honey," a woman with black hair much like his suggested after opening the door.
Kurushimi jumped at the sudden interruption, as it appeared he'd been deep in thought. "Oh, uh, I like how it is now Mom," he replied nervously after recovering.
"I think it looks so unkempt with it in your eyes like that," she said, kneeling beside her son and attempting to move the hair away from his purple orbs.
Kurushimi was quick to grab her hand and lean away from the startled woman. "It doesn't bother me, honestly. Please don't make me get it cut!"
The slender dark-haired woman removed her hand and stood up with a frown plastered to her lips. "Well, okay. Can I talk to you at least?"
Hesitantly, the boy nodded, still keeping his abnormal eyes hidden from view. Kurushimi's shoulders tensed as his mother gently set her hand on top of his.
"I know I'm pretty late to do this," the woman began, "but I want to ask if you and Kenshi are all right. You've been separating yourself from him for a while. Did something happen between you two?"
"I... He..." Kurushimi stammered, his nerves visibly shaken by the inquiry. "I just... I want to give him time with Akemi. I don't wanna bother them. They're together now right? Because I left him alone?" he finished under his breath. The last question was meant more for himself than his mother.
"Yes, Kenshi and Akemi are dating, and they're very cute together," the beautiful woman responded, appearing not to have heard the last part. "I've been worried about your father. He's so on edge these days. Do you know why? What is it you two do together all the time?"
Kurushimi's breathing hitched, the hand his mother wasn't touching clenching the fabric of his pants tightly as if his life depended on it. "D-Dad, he, uh... he's just stressed about work. H-He takes me along with him a lot. That's where we go, on business trips," he lied.
"Oh... well... Tell him I love him, since he's hardly ever here anymore," the dark-haired lady said with a crestfallen smile. She left her son a minute later. Sasuke caught a glimpse of a single tear rolling down her cheek as the door to their house closed behind the woman. For the next few minutes, all was quiet except for the recurring chirping of birds. Kurushimi resumed his position of mindlessly looking at the dirt he currently resided on.
Sasuke grew impatient as time went on without anything happening, his mind flicking back to thoughts of Sakura. "Please be safe," he begged silently, anxiety beginning to course through his mind.
"Kurushimi!"
Both Sasuke and the boy being called upon turned towards the sound of the interruption. It was Kurushimi's father.
The man jogged towards his son, the expression on his face one of a mad man, Sasuke thought.
Kurushimi had no time to speak as the older male stopped in front of him and grabbed his shoulders, tugging him to his feet. "It's time son! Today is the day!"
"W-What?!"
"We're going to test your abilities!" Kurushimi's father shouted gleefully, releasing his grip on the boy's shoulders and pushing the pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Hurry! Hurry! The faster we go the quicker we can get results!" he exclaimed, rushing off towards the lab.
Sasuke noticed the look of sheer terror resting on the boy's face, the widened purple orbs peeking out through his jet black hair. The teen appeared ghostly as he slowly turned and walked in the direction his father disappeared in, dread radiating off of his stocky form. The Uchiha followed with an indifferent expression resting on his handsome face, although he wouldn't deny that all of this intrigued him.
"What do I have to do?" Kurushimi asked once he entered the laboratory, the floor once again claiming his attention.
"Have you tried to study anyone?!" the older man questioned, quite giddy as shown by him bouncing on his heels.
"S-Study someone?"
"Yes! Look at their chakra network!" he exclaimed. "Have you?"
"No," Kurushimi muttered truthfully, his body stiff as a board.
"Rinnegan should let you have the ability to see anybody's chakra network! Try it right now!" the man ordered, skipping directly to the point.
Kurushimi bit down on his lower lip and turned to face the maniac of a person, or at least that's how Sasuke viewed him at the moment. The troubled teen hesitantly lifted his head and pushed back some of his messy hair with a shaky hand. For a second he narrowed his purple eyes and concentrated on the task the elder man gave him, fists clenched.
"Well?!" the impatient old man inquired after about half a minute had passed, body shivering with anticipation.
Kurushimi strained the Rinnegan further, hoping to obtain results. Suddenly, he screamed in pain and jerked backwards with a hand reaching out in an effort to grab hold of a nearby chair. His fingertips barely brushed the arm of it when he collapsed to the cold hard floor, curling into a ball and trembling upon impact. Kurushimi began to sob and slapped both hands over the purple Rinnegans, incoherently choking out something Sasuke assumed to be "Mother" judging by the syllable he could partially comprehend.
"What's wrong?!" the greying male shouted desperately as he ran to his son's fallen and convulsing body. "Kurushimi speak to me!"
"Make it stop! Make it stop please!" he yelled in agony, gripping the dark strands atop his head and attempting to pull them out.
The scene made a chilling shiver travel down Sasuke's spine. Pure torture, that's what it looked like Kurushimi was experiencing while rolling around and crying on the floor, his father trying to calm the boy down to no avail. All the Uchiha could ponder was why did the, experiment, go wrong? "How exactly did he make the Sharingan transform into Rinnegan?" he silently asked, forehead wrinkled. Sasuke knew exactly how it was supposed to occur, but how in the world could Kurushimi's father accomplish that? "Could he have somehow made an imperfect one perhaps? I'm not sure how that would play out or even how he could create Rinnegan by the means of it being a sort of copy, but... what other explanation is there?" Kurushimi's father hardly looked like a formidable foe, in fact he barely appeared as being classified in the ninja category, so how in the world could he retrieve the chakra of descendants of the Sage, or heck, from the Sage himself?! Sasuke pondered further on the subject and realized that he and Naruto were almost positively born at this period in time, meaning they were Ashura and Indra's incarnations. Kurushimi and Kenshi were in their late twenties in real time, so if they were sixteen or so during this time period, that meant himself and Naruto had to be about five or six. Sasuke sure as heck would've remembered some old creep coming to steal his chakra if he were six. It seemed highly unlikely for such an occurrence, plus how would anyone have discovered that fact while they were so young? "He must've somehow formed artificial Rinnegan," Sasuke concluded.
"Kurushimi!"
"Please! Please! Please!"
To Sasuke's irritation, the memory morphed into a different one yet again. This time it was Kurushimi's father alone in the lab sitting at a cluttered desk with a pen in hand. His gaze focused on an old notebook, obviously used frequently, while a small lamp illuminated a portion of the desktop. Tapping the pen against the surface, he ran a hand through his greying hair and mumbled unintelligible words to himself. He began to bite his fingernails and tap his foot along with the pen, the noises growing slightly louder. Sasuke moved forward and leaned over the man's back in order to read what was written in the notebook. "They're Kurushimi's Rinnegan test results."
"All failed... All failed..." Kurushimi's father whispered in utter disbelief. "What went wrong? What went wrong? I thought I could create a substitute that would last. Why? Why? Why?!" His erratic breathing hitched, as if he remembered something crucial. The scientist's wild gaze quickly shifted to the two containers filled with the glowing light blue liquid, one with a slight tint of orange, Sasuke had noticed in an earlier flashback. "No," he said in an effort to control himself. "They haven't been tested so who knows what the repercussions could include? I can't take that risk. It's not worth damaging the Rinnegan or... Kurushimi..." The man abruptly jumped out of his seat and growled with frustration prior to slamming both hands onto the desktop and clearing the sleek surface of most of its contents.
"I will prove to everyone I'm not worthless!" he screamed with anguish.
Before Sasuke could review the peculiar memory, the lab morphed into a dirt pathway with rows of trees on either side. The Uchiha huffed in annoyance and cocked his head to the side, his eyes landing on Kenshi and Akemi. The couple walked at a leisurely pace down the road, hand-in-hand with huge smiles, giggling every now and then. Sasuke took a step forward only to halt when he heard a noise behind him. He pivoted on his heel instinctively to face the intruder. It seemed like Kenshi and Akemi caught the sound as well, judging by the noticeable lack of footsteps.
"Oh, hello!" a man with long blond hair greeted, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Um, hi," Kenshi responded awkwardly, pulling Akemi closer.
"I'm extremely sorry to disturb you, but I'm searching for someone and I was wondering if you could pass along any information of this person's whereabouts."
The pair shared a suspicious glance, leading Kenshi to protectively tug her behind his form. "Uh, yeah. We'll see if we know this person."
"Great! Thank you for your time!" the elder male shouted a little too gleefully in Sasuke's opinion.
The Uchiha scanned over the new person and raised his eyebrows, noticing something that made his senses immediately put him on alert. "His eyes are black like mine..." He also noted that the male wore quite a large robe, one big enough to conceal his entire being if he wished to pull the hood over his head.
"Okay, here we go!" he said with a grin, retrieving a photo from a hidden pocket inside the dark and spacious robe.
Both Kenshi and Akemi gasped at the sight.
"Oh, so you do know him?" the odd male questioned. Sasuke could've sworn the smile plastered to his lips twitched into a devilish smirk for a single fleeting moment.
"Can I ask why do you need to find him?" Kenshi replied with an inquiry of his own.
"Of course you can!" he said without hesitation. Reaching into the folds of his robe once more, the blond male displayed a card with his identification. "I'm an associate of his. I was asked by the head of our department to personally deliver a business letter to him."
Sasuke narrowed his mismatched orbs and maneuvered around the man to peer at the identification card. After inspecting the photo and general information, it certainly gave the impression everything was correct, but Sasuke still had a gut feeling that something was out of the ordinary.
Kenshi relaxed a bit after reading the information. "Yeah, we know him. He's my friend's dad. I'm living with him right now so I can take you there."
Sasuke's jaw clenched. He hadn't been given the opportunity to get a glimpse of the first photo. "He's looking for Kurushimi's father?"
"Ah, thank you so much! I truly appreciate your assistance!"
For nearly half an hour the three walked on with Sasuke close by. Along the way, the strange man asked many questions. They weren't necessarily peculiar given the situation, just things like "Are you a couple?" or "How long have you lived with your friend's family?" and things of the sort. What captured Sasuke's attention were the inquiries about Kurushimi. The questions themselves didn't strike him as suspicious, but the facial expressions shown by the male were what caused Sasuke to feel apprehensive. They only made an appearance for short instances, an entity only an observant person such as Sasuke could possibly notice. Before he knew it, they had reached Kurushimi's house. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, forehead crinkled, at the stranger. "He's not here for the reasons he gave..."
The front door to the house creaked open and out stepped Kurushimi's mother with a curious stare. "Hello Kenshi, Akemi. Who's this?"
"Hi Mrs. Natsumi," Kenshi greeted with a short wave. "This man says he works in the same department as Mr. Toshio and needs to personally give him a message."
"Greetings Miss Natsumi," the newcomer said with a polite bow. "I'm very elated that these children decided to extend their gratitude to me! Now, do you by any chance know where Mister Toshio might be?"
Natsumi grinned and blushed in embarrassment. "Ah, well my husband left the house this morning. He didn't tell me where he was headed but-"
"Mom?" Kurushimi asked, taking a hesitant step outside the dwelling. He gasped at the sight of Kenshi and immediately halted, pulling the door closer to him and making it creak at the movement.
"Oh, you must be Kurushimi! Kenshi told me a little about you on our journey here!" the blond exclaimed. "Do you happen to know your father's whereabouts?"
"N-No. He never mentioned where he was going," Kurushimi stuttered, gripping the door as if his life depended on it.
"Oh, that's a shame," the stranger responded, his tone entirely different than before. This made everyone turn to stare at him with curiosity written in their features. The man smiled wickedly and closed his eyes, placing a hand under his chin in thought. "I guess I must take matters into my own hands. Don't think falsely, I did appreciate your help, but I have a task that must be completed, no matter what the cost." Ending on that note, the man slowly opened his eyes to reveal two swirling red orbs.
"Sh-Sharingan?!" Kenshi started, instinctively reaching for Akemi.
The sound of three bodies colliding with the ground anchored Kurushimi to his spot. He was too shocked to attempt any movement whatsoever. "W-What did you do to them?!" he shouted, fear and anxiety evident in his voice.
"Oh, they're fine... For now that is," he answered calmly, as if nothing weird had just occurred. "It's time to end this little deceiving act of mine I guess."
He lifted a hand to his head and grabbed a fistful of blond hair, leisurely removing the wig to reveal unkempt, matted, and long dark hair. The man lazily threw the fake hair aside and removed his robe, yawning out of boredom. "Kurushimi, was it?"
The boy's wobbling legs came out from under him, leading his body to completely fall out of the doorway. Trembling viciously, Kurushimi managed to push himself to his knees, hands planted in the dirt below. It was all he could do to prevent himself from falling face first into the earth. "Wh-Who are y-you?!"
"Oh, about that. It's quite easy to fool your friends ya know? A fake identification card, wig, and robe, that was all I needed." He stalked closer like a carnivore to its helpless prey.
Kurushimi's shudders increased with every inch the man came nearer to his petrified form. The teen gasped in awe as the man halted directly in front of him. "That crest? It's..."
"Ah, Uchiha. My name is Hideki Uchiha," the dark-haired male explained. "My little brother, Jirou, was killed a bit more than a year and a half ago."
"What do you want from my dad?" the boy questioned. Sasuke perceived from the sound of his choked voice that he was on the verge of letting tears spill from his purple eyes.
Hideki roared with laughter, a malicious smile coming to take its place shortly after. "What I will learn from him is how he obtained Jirou's eyes. My main goal... is to take them back. Now explain to me," he began eerily while crouching next to the teen, "why are your bangs so long?"
"Pl-Please..." Kurushimi begged, beginning to sob.
The Uchiha launched his hand into Kurushimi's hair and dragged him to his feet. With the free hand, Hideki gripped the male's bangs and not so gently ripped them away from his eyes. He gasped, utterly shocked at the sight. "You... WHAT DID YOU DO TO JIROU'S EYES?!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't-!"
The Uchiha, overcome with immense fury and grief howled as he propelled Kurushimi backwards into the walls of the family's abode, leaving a massive dent in the area he collided with. As the boy hollered in pain, Hideki unceremoniously tossed him to the ground behind him and stared at the now marred home. His breathing became erratic, tension building in his broad shoulders.
The last thing Kurushimi witnessed before falling unconscious was his house being engulfed in flames.
Sasuke stood still and silent throughout the entire ordeal. After all, even if he reacted it wouldn't alter anything. This time he was fully prepared for a change of scenery. The environment morphed into an area surrounded by trees and bushes, little sunlight peeking through the shallow openings caused by the numerous leaves and branches.
"Where are we? What happened?" Akemi asked groggily.
"What the-?!" Kenshi exclaimed in surprise. "Why am I tied up?!" He surveyed the others and noticed that their hands and feet were also tied. The agitated teen started to struggle with his bonds in order to escape.
"Is everyone okay?" a clueless Natsumi questioned, worried for the children's safety.
"I'm fine," answered Akemi. "Although, I do feel strangely weak."
"So do I, my chakra level feels quite low" Kenshi chimed in. He sighed with great frustration and tilted his head to the side, shocked to catch sight of another restrained body. "Kurushimi! Hey, you okay?"
A muffled sob escaped the boy's lips as he rolled over to face his three captured companions.
"Oh my goodness! Kurushimi, what happened sweetheart?!" yelled his anxious mother. She desperately attempted to rip free of her confines to no avail.
"H-He burned it down... Our house!" the disheartened boy exclaimed. He twitched a handful of times as his back throbbed with now moderate pain from being slammed into the hard wall earlier. "I... I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry."
"Kurushimi..." whispered Kenshi, disheartened by his friend's claim.
All heads twisted towards the larger part of the clearing when the sound of shuffling leaves met their ears. It consistently grew louder and closer over time, eventually reaching the brush surrounding the open area.
Hideki's voice rang throughout the air, malice dripping off his tongue. "Keep moving!" He lifted his foot and slammed it against the beaten and battered man's spine, forcing him to topple out of the bushes and land in the grassy clearing.
"Toshio?" Natsumi breathed in bewilderment, staring at her wounded husband with great concern.
"Ah, all the garbage has finally been placed in the dump," Hideki stated, once again sending his toes flying into the greying man's rib cage.
Toshio rolled to a stop and gritted his teeth, attempting to break free of the rope restraining his arms. "L-Let them go! They have nothing to do with this!"
"Really? Is that so?" Hideki questioned sarcastically. The Uchiha stalked towards Kurushimi and cut the restraints on his legs using a short sword. He unceremoniously gripped the teen's neck and dragged him to the middle of the clearing where everyone could witness what would occur next. "Then explain to me what these are!" Hideki screeched, pulling Kurushimi's bangs aside.
A bewildered silence filled the air for a short moment before Kenshi spoke.
"I thought those were only a myth," Kenshi pondered aloud.
"Kurushimi?" Akemi was at a total loss for words.
"How? What...?" Natsumi inquired, unsure of the peculiar situation herself.
"Ask this thief!" Hideki ordered, pointing an accusing finger at Toshio. "He stole my brother's Sharingan and turned them into these! They're not even the real thing! They're fakes that don't even work!" The Uchiha rummaged through a travel bag on his back and retrieved a notebook, the one Sasuke had observed Toshio scribbling in Kurushimi's results. "I've read the reports. Every test of these fake Rinnegan have failed! You tainted Jirou's eyes for no reason!" he bellowed with fury, shaking Kurushimi around as he spoke.
"Please! They didn't have anything to do with this!" Toshio pleaded desperately.
"Then why does your weakling of a son possess them?!"
Toshio gritted his teeth, feeling both rage and grief. He opened his tired eyes to faces looking to him for an explanation. Natsumi was the most confused and shocked of all, devastation evident in her features. "I... I wanted to prove to the village that I wasn't a useless coward. In order to do this, I took a dead Uchiha's Sharingan."
"Stole!" Hideki interrupted vigilantly, Kurushimi squeaking at the man's painful grasp on his messy dark hair.
"Yes, I STOLE them," Toshio admitted. "I experimented on them and I performed a transplant in hopes of endowing Kurushimi with the eyes. But, as he said, the tests failed... every single one of them, failed..." Toshio gritted his teeth and rested his forehead in the grass, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Natsumi, I'm sorry for completely neglecting you. I've failed at being a husband entirely. Kenshi and Akemi, I apologize for getting you wrapped up in this mess as well. Kurushimi, I'm so sorry... I made you go through such painful experiences, and for nothing. I forced you to go into solitude and avoid Kenshi and your other friends. I had you lie to your own mother. I'm so so sorry. Everyone, please forgive me..."
"Dad," Kurushimi began. He was immediately interrupted as Hideki shoved his face into the dirt below, eliciting a grunt of pain from the teen.
"That was all very touching, but I still have business to take care of," Hideki growled, releasing his hold on Kurushimi and stalking towards the greying scientist. "You," he started, crouching, "how did you turn my brother's eyes into fakes like that?"
"I conducted a long series of experiments, but even I don't quite remember what all they included considering there were so many. I burned every note I had concerning them," Toshio explained hurriedly, hopeful that they would be released.
Hideki snorted contemptuously. "Oh, what a pity. You see, I believe it's time for me to reveal something about myself." The vengeance driven Uchiha smirked venomously. "When I take a hostage, I'm never intent on letting them live." An instant later he was right beside Natsumi, wasting no time in dragging the woman to the middle of the clearing where everyone could view what was about to occur.
"No! No! Please, I promise I wasn't lying! STOP!" Toshio begged, desperately struggling against his restraints.
"Any last words?" Hideki questioned as he forced the woman up to her knees.
Tears rolled down Natsumi's cheeks as it hit her what was happening. "I... I love you all," she sobbed. "And, Toshio, I forgive you..."
"PLEASE!"
The three teens were all frozen in place, their mouths gaping in horror at the scene.
All were paralyzed with fear as Hideki's sword came down. Kurushimi urged a cry to release from his throat, but anything he attempted to shout refused to be made audible. His heart skipped a beat as the last breath his mother drew was engraved in his memory forever, haunting and tormenting his conscience. He heard a mixture of anguished yells and grieving sobs erupt from the restrained people beside him, but all Kurushimi heard were Natsumi's last words, replaying over and over in his head. He only came back to his senses, still in utter shock, when Hideki dragged Akemi to the middle of the clearing and forced her to sit in the same position as Natsumi.
"No! Let go of her now! Take me instead! Please! Stop! Akemi!" Kenshi pleaded. When the Uchiha did not cease his movements, the young swordsman began to impetuously scream curses at the man, struggling with all his might against the ropes restraining his hands and feet. It was no use, whatever Hideki had done while they were unconscious weakened them too much.
"Not a child! Have mercy!" Toshio chimed in. Tears continuously cascaded down his cheeks at the sight of his slain wife's lifeless form. "Kill me instead! Please! Leave the children alone! I beg of you!"
"Any last words?" the Uchiha repeated, acting as if his ears fell deaf to the males' cries.
"Kenshi... I love you," Akemi admitted after an agonizing moment, her heart undoubtedly shattering into millions of pieces.
Hideki raised his sword.
"AKEMI!"
Kurushimi observed with sheer terror as the girl's body began to topple over, a trickle of blood sliding through the lips that were fitted into a smile. Her limp form slowly fell to land beside Natsumi's lifeless body, Kenshi screaming in fury and terror at the top of his lungs.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" the distraught teen proclaimed.
Hideki snorted, a malign smirk playing on his lips afterwards. "Don't worry kid, I'll put an end to that wishful thinking of yours soon. Hm, I guess you're next old man. After I'm done with you this yelling brat is next. I have unfinished business with Kurushimi."
Toshio didn't protest as he was dragged into the open area, both teens' wide eyes glued to him. "Please let them live. Please... Just take the eyes from my son and go," Toshio pleaded, tears scattered across his cheeks.
"Not gonna happen," Hideki responded bluntly. "I'll allow you some last words though."
The scientist hesitated to peer at the two traumatized boys, guilt and sorrow clouding his mind. "I-I'm so sorry... I was so selfish. None of this would have happened if I wasn't so concerned with my image! K-Kurushimi... I love you. Thank you for putting up with such a terrible father like me."
"D-Dad," Kurushimi voiced. Not a single tear had fallen from the boy's eyes thus far. Immense shock prohibited him from letting the tears flow; the feeling had yet to sink in. Even as the sword met his father's flesh they still refused to leave his purple eyes.
Sasuke clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. The scene reminded him all too much of the night his clan and family were slaughtered. He knew very well the reasons his brother Itachi performed the action, but it didn't mean the truly horrific images were erased from his memory.
Suddenly, Kenshi broke free of his confinements and threw a kunai knife in Kurushimi's direction, severing the ropes that prevented him from moving.
"What?! How?!" Hideki screeched in astonishment.
Kenshi threw a shuriken at the man with lightning speed. The weapon embedded itself into the Uchiha's leg and rendered him defenseless for a split second, in which the teenage swordsman used the opportunity to jump on the Uchiha's back and draw his blade. "Kurushimi, run! I'll hold him off!"
"But-!"
"GO!"
Kurushimi hesitantly lifted himself from the earth and trudged away, stealing one last glance over his shoulder before breaking out into a run.
Not long after, Kenshi was thrown into a tree and nearly knocked unconscious upon impact.
"I'll come back for you later!" Hideki growled, ripping the shuriken out of his flesh with a grunt of pain. He then jogged with a limp in the direction where Kurushimi sped off.
Sasuke was about to follow when a cough from Kenshi stopped him in his tracks.
"I'm not letting you murder anyone else close to me," the teen declared, panting and resting his back against the tree for support. He caught his breath and took a step forward, intent on pursuing the Uchiha and Kurushimi.
"K-Kenshi..."
The blond's eyes widened to the point it hurt. He heard the voice again and immediately pivoted on his heel, rushing towards the three bodies in the middle of the clearing. Kenshi crouched and gently gripped Akemi's body, cradling her head against his torso. "Akemi, you're alive," he stated in disbelief.
The girl managed a weak smile. "Kenshi, I need to tell you something."
Tears cascaded down Kenshi's cheeks as he looked down at her. "We have to get you to a doctor. You can tell me then."
"No... Kenshi, there's no time," breathed Akemi. "I have to tell you..."
"Hey, stay with me!"
"I wanted to tell you," Akemi began, her eyelids beginning to shut, "thank you for caring about me and spending your time with me."
"No..."
"Kenshi, I love you," Akemi whispered, her form falling limp in his hands.
"Akemi?" Kenshi questioned, fat wet droplets hitting her face. "Akemi, please. Don't leave me," he begged, attempting to stifle his sobs.
For the next five or so minutes, Sasuke watched as Kenshi held Akemi's body, her blood covering his trembling hands. He perceived the immense pain Kenshi was struggling with at that moment. It was written all over his contorted and tear-stained features. He heard the boy's multiple apologies of "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" and swallowed. This was what his enemies were talking about constantly, the day they lost everything. As Sasuke continued to stare at the scene unfolding before him, worry once again controlled his mind. "Sakura," he thought, heavily concerned with her safety suddenly. He couldn't help but imagine himself in Kenshi's place, and Sakura in Akemi's. What if that was him holding the pink-haired woman's body instead? "Stop," he order himself silently. Thoughts like that wouldn't get him anywhere.
Kenshi finally gained the resolve to lift his head and suppress his tears. It was a much more difficult task to gently set her head down and stand up, turning away from his beloved's lifeless body. The swordsman wiped the lingering tears away, fists balled and teeth gritted. "Hideki Uchiha, I will kill you with no remorse. You'll pay for what you've done. I'm not going to let you kill the last family have." Kenshi bolted away after declaring his impending vengeance, ignoring the throbbing pain in the back of his head.
Sasuke wasn't surprised in the slightest as the scene shifted, this time leaving him standing inside Toshio's lab. It appeared that many items in the room had been rearranged, including the container of light blue liquid with traces of orange, Sasuke noted. It was now placed on top of a large cupboard in the corner of the spacious area. A handful of labels marked some items as well, reading "move later", the blue liquid without the orange tinge being one of these.
The back door burst open and in came a distraught Kurushimi. He sauntered to the nearest counter and leaned against the edge for support, panting harshly. Suddenly, the door Kurushimi entered through was kicked off its hinges and across the room, scaring the dark-haired teen halfway to the moon.
"You!" growled a furious Hideki.
Kurushimi took a shaky step backwards, his lip quivering in terror.
"I'll kill you!" exclaimed a newcomer.
Hideki grunted in annoyance and drew his sword while swirling around, blocking Kenshi's slash at the last possible second. The two dueled in a ferocious battle, breaking glass cases and knocking over tables and chairs. Kurushimi was anchored to his spot, wondering how in the world his friend managed to gain the will to fight in this situation. He gripped the counter as if it was the only thing keeping him alive. His heart dropped when Kenshi's face was slashed with Hideki's sword, giving him the scar he possessed in real time, and flung into the cupboard seated in the room's corner. The giant wooden object teetered for a moment before steadying, except the container filled with blue and orange liquid toppled off and shattered when it made contact with the young swordsman's body.
Kurushimi's eyes bulged at the sight and a cold shiver ran down his spine at his friend's cry of agony before his body fell limp on the hard floor. As Hideki then proceeded to stalk towards him, Kurushimi stumbled backwards, holding his hands out protectively in front of himself. "Please, don't kill me! I swear I didn't know!"
"Why do you have them then?!" the Uchiha screeched, his red eyes blazing in fury. He continued to rapidly approach the sixteen-year-old boy.
Kurushimi yelped in fear and persisted in walking backwards, tears finally beginning to spill from his purple eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I never had a choice! Please don't hurt me!"
The man halted his advance. "Toshio gave them to you though. He experimented on my brother's eyes and turned them into useless fakes!"
The boy stopped, shivering uncontrollably. Anger surged through him. "You already killed my father! You killed my mother and friend for no reason! You got what you wanted didn't you?!" he finished, gazing at Kenshi struggling to get up in the corner.
Hideki cackled maliciously and raised his bloody sword, slowly stalking towards Kurushimi once more. "I killed Toshio, yes. I also murdered innocent people in front of him to make the worthless man suffer before I killed him. I forced him to see what his careless actions caused. Now boy, it's your turn. What I really want is Jirou's eyes! Now prepare to join the rest!"
He stumbled backwards again and watched in horror as the Uchiha slashed with his sword. "NO!" Kurushimi fell to the ground, barely dodging the strike. The teen heard glass shattering and opened his eyes only to see liquid falling from the counter above. He didn't move as it made contact with his purple eyes. All Kurushimi saw before pain surged through his head was light blue.
Screams rattled Sasuke's eardrums as he peered at Kurushimi's form writhing on the ground in agony.
Hideki clicked his tongue with irritation, rotating the bloody sword in his hand. "You are definitely the weakest person I've ever crossed paths with. So pitiful. Don't worry though, it'll all be over in just a second." The Uchiha raised the weapon again, preparing to slay the defenseless boy.
"Not as long as I have something to say about it!"
"Huh?"Hideki peered over his shoulder and gasped in bewilderment. "What the-?!"
He was interrupted by a knee slamming into his chest, the impact sending him sailing through the nearest wall. Hideki rolled across the earth and coughed up blood after skidding to a stop. The attacker appeared to his side and the Uchiha reeled backwards in shock. "What are you?!"
Kenshi's breath hitched for a fleeting moment. He slowly brought his hands into view and gasped as he caught sight of the blue glow surrounding his body. The swordsman traced the wound on his face and realized it was still there, except the pain he felt was like a bee sting at most. "I-I don't know... but I'm not gonna let this power go to waste!" He shot forward and appeared behind the Uchiha in the blink of an eye. Hideki attempted to turn his body in order to block, but instead he was met with a fist to the face.
Hideki held his bloody and broken nose as he arose. "I have no idea what's going on. I'll just get the other kid and go!" he concluded aloud. The wounded and bewildered Uchiha made a beeline for the gaping hole in the deceased Toshio's lab. A gasp erupted from his throat as he blinked and Kenshi was blocking his path the next instant. "You're really getting on my nerves kid!"
Kenshi's lips separated, a defensive reply ready to escape them when-
"Kenshi, move aside."
The teen immediately swiveled around at the familiar voice, inhaling sharply. "K-Kurushimi..." He hesitantly moved aside, baffled that his friend was able to stand, or even move for that matter. Another gasp left his lips as he stole a glimpse of his friend's face.
A confused and cautious expression controlled Hideki's features when he also caught sight of the teen's face. "You two aren't human!"
A strong gust of wind blew across the terrain, momentarily removing Kurushimi's jet black bangs from his eyes. They were no longer just the color of the Rinnegan. The new appearance of black pupils and ring separating the Rinnegan purple and Chidori blue gave off an ominous aura. "You've caused enough suffering. After today you won't be causing any more pain."
"Kurushimi, you-" the swordsman began.
"Let's end this right now Kenshi," he interrupted. It was almost as if the boy were an entirely different person.
"Ha, even with these new powers of yours you still can't-! Wh-What the heck?!" Hideki hollered suddenly. He peered down at his feet and froze at the realization. Light blue solid objects had begun to enclose his feet and anchor the Uchiha to the ground.
"Kenshi, go," Kurushimi ordered icily calm.
The blond male hesitated for a moment, looking his friend in the new strange eye, and returned his attention to the now restrained Hideki. Kenshi growled in fury, the horrendous images of Akemi's death fresh in his mind. It didn't take him more than half a second to begin taking his revenge on the criminal Uchiha.
Sasuke's gaze was locked onto the one-sided "battle" between Kenshi and his former clan member. He remained unfazed even as he watched Kenshi's brutal attacks against the defenseless man. Kurushimi remained still as well, his concentration focused on keeping the Uchiha in his place and leaving him vulnerable to any strikes. After all, the two boys were intent on returning the favor to Hideki and making him suffer an agonizing death at their hands. The gruesome beating continued for many minutes, until the teens' opponent was no longer able to stay on his two feet. He collapsed and Kurushimi let the light blue restraints disappear from their place at his feet and stalked towards him, giving the vengeful Kenshi a signal to cease his assault.
"Ha, pitiful," Kurushimi mocked, using Hideki's words from earlier. He reached the fallen and battered man, looking down on his bloody and broken form. "You deserve to suffer so much more," Kurushimi growled through gritted teeth. "I can't resist the urge to kill you right now though." He raised his hand, thousands of thin needle-like shards, almost like senbon, materializing out of thin air. "Any last words?" he mocked once more, his face that of a maniac.
Hideki only grunted, biting his lower lip in frustration and slamming his eyelids shut, preparing for what was soon to occur. He knew there was absolutely no possible way he could escape his impending fate.
Kenshi couldn't bear to glance at Kurushimi when the boy lowered his hand and the hundreds of slim shards penetrated Hideki's body. After all was said and done, even Sasuke felt mildly nauseous at the sight of the other Uchiha's mangled body and had to avert his mismatched eyes to the side or ground. He was grateful when the scene changed so he no longer had to be cautious about where his eyes were directed. When he carefully peered at his surroundings, Sasuke recognized the area as the one where Kurushimi's parents and Akemi had previously been murdered. The bodies were still lying in their original positions, Kenshi and Kurushimi standing over them, rage and grief radiating off of their forms.
Kenshi balled his fists and dropped to the earth, tears rolling down his cheeks continuously. "I could have broken the ropes sooner if I had tried harder! I'm so sorry..."
"Get up Kenshi," Kurushimi ordered, his head lowered.
The swordsman's fury heightened to new levels at the command. He angrily tilted his head towards Kurushimi and shouted, "How can you stand there and not shed a tear?! How can you act like what's happened is nothing?! How-?!" Kenshi froze, speechless.
Fat tears fell from Kurushimi's hidden eyes. The teen was desperately attempting to stifle the resounding sobs erupting from his lips. "There's n-no use in you crying about it. I was the u-useless one. You saved us both. I p-promise I'll never be as defenseless as this ever again." The disgruntled male wiped the tears off his cheeks and stared at the young swordsman with a serious expression. "Kenshi, I need your help with something."
"My help?"
"I'm gonna kill every Uchiha. They're all criminals and deserve the same fate is Hideki," he explained, viciously spitting out the dead man's name. "We need to prevent this from happening again, by ending them all! The Uchiha clan deserves to suffer! We'll kill them all, and get revenge for my parents and Akemi in the process!"
Kenshi dried his face and slowly stood up, turning his attention to the pile of bodies. "You're right. They do deserve to suffer the same fate. They only breed criminals like him! We'll do it together... We'll annihilate the Uchiha clan until there's none of them left!" he vowed.
"No!"
Sasuke's eyes widened a smidgen and he peered over both shoulders after hearing the strange and eerie call.
"Stop!"
This time the distraught pleading increased in volume. The voice sounded vaguely familiar in the Uchiha's ears, but it was proven difficult to decipher because of its distorted nature.
When Sasuke returned his attention to the sight in front of him, he was surprised to notice the environment beginning to warp and fade away. He hastily averted his eyes downward to his hands and saw that they also were starting to twist and vanish. In fact, his whole body was effected by the sudden happening. Everything surrounding him became almost nonexistent soon afterwards and a strange sensation overtook the Uchiha.
"Agh!" Kurushimi shouted in great agony, his vision blurry and head pounding intensely. His breathing became very erratic as he finally managed to break out of the visions. Kenshi stood stock still next to him, staring straight ahead with a horrified expression as if he were still witnessing the terrifying memories. Sasuke's only reliance for support were the chains and stakes restraining him. If not for his confinements he would have fallen face first into the hard rock beneath him; however, he couldn't help but wince at the tightness of the chakra chains around his wrists, especially with the pressure applied by them when he bent forward too far.
"It... backfired?!" Kurushimi exclaimed in complete disbelief, regaining his composure. "No... No... No! I need more power!" He immediately turned and ran as fast as he possibly could towards the exit.
Sasuke finally caught his breath and wits, leading him to sit up and set his gaze on the still stunned Kenshi, waiting to see if the man could gain the courage to move. His lips separated as a single tear could be seen rolling down the swordsman's scarred cheek. Even more shocking was how the male collapsed to his hands and knees, sobbing uncontrollably. His position on the ground made it appear like a deep bow of... apology.
"I-I couldn't protect her," Kenshi cried into his arms, voice muffled. "I'm s-so sorry Akemi."
Sasuke's frown deepened, his heavy lids lowering. The heart-wrenching feeling of having the ones you love and care about killed was no foreign emotion to Sasuke Uchiha.
"Why?! Why?! WHY?!" Kurushimi repeated over and over in his head. He cupped his hands and dipped them into the fountain full of blue liquid, quickly throwing it on his multicolored orbs. The throbbing residing in his cranium only increased, leading the dark-haired man to hiss and curse. "How?! Why did that happen?!" He carefully gripped the edge of the fountain and felt along as he cautiously traveled to the opposite side where the black substance swirled along with the light blue one. "I have to. I can't wait any longer. While I still feel the rush of power that just gave me, I'll use this on Sasuke. Tch, if he hasn't lost all hope yet, this will be sure to do the trick," Kurushimi finished, managing a strained, malicious smirk.
Author's Note: Some things have still yet to be revealed. I wanted to make this longer but it's already over 12,500 words so I'll leave it off here for right now. I'll get the next chapter started and finished as soon as time permits me. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the support! Please review! And once again, thank you for being patient with me!