Wrong Again
Chapter 17
Wow, I just reviewed some notes that I wrote down for the general ending/plot for this fic and it totally threw me off! It's been awhile since I've been thinking about this story, lol. Thanks for the reviews everyone! Every time I get one the guilt just eats at me! Lol, well, enjoy this very short chapter!
It had taken Sasuke several days as he pondered continuously about achieving the Mangekyuo that it finally dawned on him. He recalled that Kakashi had managed to gain some version of it through training alone. It had never mattered to him back then how Kakashi could have gotten it when he knew how he was going to get his. That was no longer an option. He made a note to talk to his mother and brother immediately about that possibility. He'd have to go through the clan archives again and possibly the other one too.
Today was their one day off. It was the day before the Chuunin exam. Minato had cut them some slack and told them to go have fun. He did advise them to stay away from the foreign ninja despite the confirmation that Suna had not sent their volatile jinchuuriki to the exam.
He was currently in his room in his mother's house. Naruto and Shika had decided to wander around town. He had been invited but had declined, giving the excuse that his mother wanted him to help her clean out the house and this was the only free time he had. He had already cleaned the house; Naruto's Kage Bunshin technique came in handy for simple chores.
"Sasuke!" Mikoto called from down the hall, "Lunch is ready!" He set down the scroll that he had been scouring. It was a good time as any to take a break and ask his mom about the sharingan. He'd never seen her use it but Itachi said that mother had been a formidable ninja before she settled into her role as housewife and finally as a mother.
In fact, it was their mother who had first taught Itachi anything about being a ninja. He had been surprised by the comment and for the first time he really saw his mother in a new light. He'd only known her as the gentle, loving mother who took care of him when he fell or got hurt. He thought his father had been a great shinobi but his mother's records had surpassed his father's by far.
He exited his room closing the door behind him. Upon entering the kitchen he found her already sitting down and enjoying her meal.
"Hello, Sasuke," she greeted. She had yet to see him today at all. Her two sons were alive yet she saw them so rarely that some days she wondered if she was only dreaming. Itachi was hardly ever home; with the Hokage ordering him on mission after mission she maybe saw him once a week or two if she was lucky.
There was an air about her two boys that excluded her. There was something going on that they were keeping from her. Recently it had gotten worse. Sasuke hadn't left his room this week unless it was for training or researching. She hadn't seen Itachi at all. For all she knew he wasn't even in the village at the moment. She knew it was bad when she hadn't seen Naruto over at all. The bright, happy boy was always by Sasuke's side yet Sasuke had come home alone again.
"What are your plans for your day off?" she asked after he had sat down. Sasuke glanced around the room and shrugged nonchalantly, "Nothing much, just looking at some scrolls." She knew an evasive answer when she heard one but she didn't push it.
"Where's Naruto?" Naruto always made everything better. She loved the little moments when Sasuke would mention one of Naruto's antics with a tiny smile.
"Wandering around town with Shikamaru," he answered offhandedly. She hid her frown at his dismissal. Instead she watched him scoop some rice into his mouth and chew. She had made fish with rice. It was a light lunch, mostly because she hoped he would stay for dinner. Sasuke knew this. He thought about what he had to do tonight and figured dinner was probably the least he could do if anything went wrong tomorrow.
"Hey, how much do you know about the sharingan?" he asked straight out. He didn't want to be rude but beating around the bush wouldn't do either of them any favors. His mother seemed taken aback by the question at first but he saw the changing emotions on her face. The topic seemed to anger her before she schooled her expression to a calmer one.
"Enough, I guess," she hated the cursed eyes of her clan. There were nights where she dreamed that she had never mentioned anything to Fugaku. Inwardly she let go of that regret for the moment. If she hadn't planted that seed, would things have been the same as they were today? Where would they be as a family? He might have never sought help.
"I want to know about the Mangekyuo Sharingan," he answered without hesitation. He stared straight into his mother's eyes. He watched as her grey eyes clouded over with a dark emotion. She didn't bother to hide her agitation at his request.
"What about it?" her voice was barely audible. She sat straighter, almost defensively. Sasuke pondered his mother's strange reaction to his question. She had to know something if she was acting this strange. He pushed on, hoping she wouldn't withhold information from him. He was pretty sure she knew more than 'just enough'.
"How can I get it?"
Mikoto gasped and swallowed at the same time in her shock and haste to say something. She hadn't thought he'd be so direct. Hell, she didn't even know he knew anything about it! Not many knew about it, even among most of the sharingan wielders. She coughed and hacked as her lungs tried to force out the unwanted liquid from their depths. Sasuke stood up and went to fetch some water.
He didn't think his request would startle his mother that much…unless she knew how to get it; which meant that she might be able to help him get it the way Kakashi did. Perhaps it was time to clue his mother in on some things since it was obvious Itachi hadn't done so.
By the time he had come back with water his mother had recovered but her gaze was severe and disapproving. He'd never thought that he would be on the receiving end of such a look from her. Slightly apprehensive, as if he were six years old again, he offered her the cup of water and sat down.
"You'll do no such thing," she chastised sharply. If he was going to be blunt so could she. There was no way in hell she'd let her precious little baby boy achieve such a cursed state of being. She saw that he was going to protest; quickly she spoke, "How did you find out about that?" The way she said it made it sound like a diseased and disgusting thing.
Sasuke was taken aback by her tone. He'd never seen his mother like this before. Once more he could only answer her obediently.
"I've been in the archives," he answered slowly. He was aware that access to the archives was restricted, but Yondaime had given him permission to use it as much as he needed.
"What are you doing in there? Who let you in?" she demanded.
"I have the Hokage's permission to utilize the archives, mom," he continued to say softly, trying to calm her down while he figured out why she was acting so defensive and upset. His comment about having permission from the Hokage didn't sit well with her as he had hoped. In fact it seemed to cause her more distress.
"What's wrong mom?" he asked.
"You shouldn't ask about it anymore. It's not good for you or anyone," she evaded his question. In dismissal she stood up and started cleaning the table. He watched baffled as his mother cleaned swiftly and efficiently. She said no more as she disappeared out of the room along with his unfinished lunch.
Perhaps he wouldn't stay for dinner after all.
It was mid-afternoon when Naruto finished his lunch alone at his favorite ramen stand. Putting on a happy front for the old man was easy especially since he had ramen to stuff his face with. He was feeling weird though; since that day Kiba and Chouji ran into them here a week ago he'd felt off.
He wasn't sure what it was. Sasuke was acting weird, as in more broody and colder than usual. Itachi was nowhere to be found though he couldn't care less where that guy was. His dad was busier than normal with nobles and big shots coming into town for the exam. Obito was busy too running around doing errands for his dad.
They were all busy; which was why his dad had given them the day off. He was supposed to be with Shika but the other boy had been recruited by his bossy mom to clean his room. Lately all Shika had been doing when he was home was eat and collapse on his bed. Apparently his room was a pig-sty; boy was he in trouble!
And Sasuke had also been told to clean by his mom too. He knew though that it was just an excuse to be by himself. Since that day when Sasuke had been in a foul mood he'd been extremely antisocial and often secluded himself away from everyone else.
Naruto had never felt lonelier.
So instead of going to his favorite spot he had let his feet carry him around town. He was literally going where the wind took him as a breeze nudged him in another direction. He'd been going to the Hokage Monument too often and now every time he was there he was just thinking too much. He wasn't in the mood to think today.
His dad told him he'd get to meet the other genins tomorrow at the exam and he could talk to them there. From then on he wouldn't be restricted from interacting with anyone anymore. It had made him happy and he couldn't wait. But the happy news had been dimmed by the fact that he was still alone at the moment. His mind wandered over what he would say to anyone when he met them. He wondered if Neji was still a prick and if he'd have to beat the crap out of him again. He smiled slightly at the memory that changed the Hyuuga boy forever.
Perhaps fuzzy brows would be there. He was excited; maybe he could fight fuzzy brows since Gaara wouldn't be there. Then he would be the one to fight Sasuke! His mood brightened at the thought of punching the bastard in the face. He had it coming for being so prissy lately.
Happy now he finally tuned back into his surroundings only to find that the wind had brought him to an area of the village he hardly ever ventured into. He knew not too far from where he was he would find the Forest of Death where his last chuunin exam had been held. His father had refused to say anything about the exam so he headed for the forest.
Was the exam going to be there again? Did it matter how many contestants there were? The closer he got the more curious he became. Was it as scary and spooky as it was the first time when he really was a fresh genin with no experience? Would anyone noticed if he went inside?
He approached the formidably high fence. There was a creepiness to it that made him want to run away; to go back to the rest of the village, to return to the Hokage tower, to his dad, to Sasuke. A nagging thought pushed its way into his mind; that they weren't there for him, all too busy worrying about the future.
The wind pushed him forward.
Minato was exhausted but he made himself get up. He was going to go home and catch a quick nap before the exam would start tomorrow. Everything was in place. They could only do so much. There was no knowing if Madara would strike during the exam in Orochimaru's place.
The man was planning something but they hadn't been able to figure out anything. His secretive movements were traced and followed but to no avail. They could only plan for the worst.
He covered up a yawn but couldn't hide the second one. Man, was he tired! This wasn't good but things had to get done. He made his way out of the door, sealing the wards behind him before he went home. Maybe he'd catch a glimpse of Naruto before morning came.
It was to any empty house that he came to. It wasn't unusual; perhaps Naruto was spending the night with Sasuke at his mother's place. Minato yawned and went to his room. He tossed and turned, fitful and restless until his alarm went off signaling the start of the new day.
He changed his clothes, wrinkled his nose at the way he smelled. Quickly he shed his clothes and took a shower. It would help to wake him up.
The house was still empty. The two boys would already be waiting with the rest of the genin. Normally he would make coffee; he hated it but it did wonders for jump starting his brain. Today his senses were sharp despite his lack of sleep. There was something on the edge of his mind, like he had forgotten something.
Was there something that he had forgotten? Did they miss something? His gut told him to find Naruto and Sasuke. There was an identifying flare of chakra outside his house. Boar was signaling that it was time to go.
He pulsed back a response: wait. Then he was gone.
Obito stared at the genins of the exam. Some were so damn young. Hell, the young outnumbered the old. He studied the veterans of the exam and wondered how many times some of them have tried; hell, why they kept trying after this long.
He looked for anyone with white hair. Despite the snake's death, the so-called Kabuto hadn't been accounted for. Minato hadn't recalled any particular pupils under Orochimaru at the time of his death. No one with astounding medical skills rivaling Tsunade.
Still he looked. His eyes landed briefly on the three boys. He had observed them earlier when they had first arrived. All were solemn and quiet, especially Naruto. Sasuke didn't appear bothered by it so he had let it rest. Shikamaru was doing a good job of looking bored but then again, maybe he was. Sasuke was impassive as he stared at everyone and no one at the same time.
Obito stared at Naruto. He saw Naruto the day before yesterday. It had been his day to train them. He had been hard, ruthless compared to how he was usually. There had been a moment when Naruto had looked at him like he'd never seen him before. The boy had looked away though; dusted himself off and looked up like nothing had happened.
Shikamaru had spoken and that was the end of that. This solemn… body… wasn't really Naruto yet it felt like Naruto. The chakra was unmistakable. So he kept waiting for the boy to spark up and challenge everyone, to boast that he'd become a chuunin for sure.
They had agreed to not let the boys know anything about the exam just for the sake of it being a challenge. Minato had thought about altering the exam but decided against it. The chuunin exam initially tested for team work and then individual skill. Naruto and Sasuke had flawless teamwork and Shika only complimented them. It was good the way it was.
It was Anko's turn to proctor this year and she'd been approved. There were only seventeen teams this year, a surprisingly low number compared to previous years. Four were from Stone, two from Grass, two from Cloud, three from Mist, two from Sand, one from Rain and two from Leaf. The last team had insignias that were unfamiliar to him but registration reminded him that they were from the little known hidden village Waterfall.
Anko would go over the rules and lead them to the test area. After that it was up to Asuma to direct the individual exhibits of strength. Every country's exam was different but most followed the same format. The last one had been in Mist but he hadn't been there for that one or the ones before either with the exception of his own exam. His team had made record time with Kakashi taking the lead.
He pulled back from his thoughts as he sensed the impending crazy scary woman.
Like a heart attack Anko appeared, crashing through a wall putting all the genin on alert. She emerged from the dust with a deranged smile.
"Who wants to be a chuunin?
Did I promise the chuunin exam this chapter? Well, you have the beginnings of it! Sorry, this was very much a build-up of what was coming. I don't think you guys can guess what I'm planning, I mean what Madara is planning! I'm excited since the story should roll a little faster and things begin coming together (if they haven't already?) I don't know, I keep saying that but it hasn't happened. So maybe I'll just stop promising anything and just leave it be.
One side note though:
I thought about where I wanted to take this fic. Originally I wanted it to be epic, you know, a million chapters with every single character of Naruto having some role. But as time goes on I got lazy and busy and then lazy again. So I'm cutting out the socializing and focusing on the drama if that makes any sense at all. Guess you will all find out what I mean. Then maybe someday I'll come back and re-write it the way I wanted to (right, not promising anything).