Author's Note: I am so sorry for the long wait! I just started my new job and was moving to a new house and everything was just a mess! Forgive me! I will not give up on this story, okay? No worries! I love hearing all that you guys have to say, so thank you! Let me know what you think and enjoy!
Warnings: Language, maybe.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The idea was brought to me by RedGoddessEclipse and asked me to write it for her. :3
Word Count: 5,485
Sasuke blankly stares at the Third Hokage, not sure he heard right. "Are you asking me to stay here? Are you asking me to stay here and look after you?" It was so absurd to even hear it coming front the Third's mouth. For a second there, Sasuke wonders if he dreamt that entire thing or if he really was just going insane from the lack of human contact for the last couple of weeks. It wouldn't be that far out of the realm of possibilities. Perhaps Sasuke isn't even in the Hidden Leaf right now. Perhaps he's in the middle of the forest, delirious from fever, talking to trees right now for all he knows.
"Yes," Hiruzen says, as if they were talking about the weather and not someone who hadn't stepped foot into the Leaf in years suddenly becoming the protector of the Third Hokage.
Sasuke snorts, leaning his weight on one hip and glaring at the old man. "Are you insane?" He asks, staring down at the man, then he asks again, "Are you really insane?" He shakes his head in exasperation. If no one else was going to ask the question, then he was.
Hiruzen smiles. "What's so insane about this? I thought I was being very clear about why I was doing this. You are a child of this village, Sasuke, named after my father, and have a very special gift. Whether you meant to do it or not, you have been helping the people of our village by keeping the citizens safe, and making sure their protectors and their family return home safe from the front line. That's enough for me."
Any protest that Sasuke had dies at his throat. He looks around the front gate leading to the Hokage's tower. He's trying to find any reason he can to get out of this. Sure, he can fight his way out, and maybe he'll win, but is it really worth it? Is it really worth walking around living a mundane, boring lifestyle that he's been living for what feels like forever, when it's only been a couple of weeks? But yes, it felt like forever.
But what would Sasuke do here? 'Protect the Hokage'? What did that even mean? The man didn't leave the village. Like, at all. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to follow the old man around whenever he leaves the village, but there is a certain level of freedom that Sasuke is used to, if he's forced to stay in this village - in that office - all day, everyday. He'll go mad.
Naruto may have been okay with subjecting himself to that hell but that wasn't how Sasuke wanted to die. Not that he had much to live for, but it didn't mean that he was going to just throw his life away. Or maybe he is. But he doesn't want to. And to be honest, he doesn't really know what he wants anymore.
His life was a hot mess.
"I can't stay here," Sasuke says, taking a step back from the Third. "I don't belong here. I can't be village bound, it's not for me. I appreciate the offer, but I have to decline."
The Third looks nonplussed, taking a moment to look around at the shops behind Sasuke, trying to get his thoughts in order. Sasuke didn't think he said anything surprising, but maybe there was something in his voice that gave way to his internal turmoil. Sasuke wouldn't doubt it, he didn't have much control over himself anymore, it seems.
"Is it about wanting to be out in the field?" Minato asks, glancing over at the Third. "Forgive me, my lord, for butting in." The Third gestures for him to continue. Sasuke has to guess the Third will overlook just about anything to keep Sasuke close.
Sasuke shakes his head. "I've been on my own for a long time. It's not like I feel some sort of Leaf-pride. It's more me, than them. Not that I much care for them."
Minato nods, ignoring that last bit and stepping up next to the Third. "I understand. It's hard to give up freedom. I'm sure something can be worked out, right my lord? Besides, someone of Sasuke's talents, even without the use of his eyes - both Sharingan and Rinnegan - would be useful on the battlefield. His kenjutsu is top notch, may even be close to rivaling that of Kushina. It can be at his own discretion with his eyes. I'm not so sure the chances of him running into the absolute need to use them will be too great. At least, not that I can perceive."
Sasuke leans on one hip, reaching up with his free hand to run through the dark blue locks. "Perhaps... I just need to get out of this village. I'm not equipped with settling down yet."
"It's understandable," Minato says, turning to the Hokage. "If you want, Lord Hokage, Sasuke and I can stay together. When you need him, just use one of my hirashin kunai and I'll bring him here to you." Minato shrugs his shoulders. "I don't mind helping out. Rain or shine, day or night."
Hiruzen raises an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "You would do that?"
Minato nods. "I am very willing, my lord. Besides, we could still use the help on the front lines. We can never have too much help." He looks over at Sasuke with big blue eyes. "Would that be okay with you?"
Sasuke relaxes a little bit more, seeing that the Hokage wasn't outwardly opposed of the idea. He looks over at Minato and shrugs his shoulders. "I guess... I don't really mind." This entire thing was very strange to Sasuke. They were going out of their way to accommodate him.
Why?
"What's going on?" Sasuke asks, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I get that you want to keep my eye close, but this is a lot of leeway for someone you don't know. How do you even know I can be trusted?" He shifts back a bit, as if trying to put a bit more distance between himself and the Konoha shinobi. He eyes them wearily.
Minato and the Third share a look that doesn't settle Sasuke's nerves. At first, it almost appeared as though they were going to lie, Sasuke could just see it on the blond's face. Just like his future son, the blond was capable of being just as expressive, but then he seemed to see Sasuke already leaning away, preparing to call the blond out on the lie and leave the village forever, for he settles for the truth. Or at least, enough of the truth that Sasuke couldn't tell the difference. Because Minato takes a step closer and looks down into Sasuke's eye.
"I have been watching you since you got here... and I won't stop for a while," he says slowly. "And I've already put precautionary measures in place just in case something goes wrong..." He trails off, studying Sasuke's reaction to this truth, however much of the truth it was.
Normally someone would be insulted by his words, but in fact, Sasuke felt the opposite. There was two things that Sasuke felt by his words, one being relieved because that is probably the only thing they've said today that's made legit sense to him. Sasuke is an unknown and should be treated as such. Being treated as anything but is both uncomfortable and unnatural and he doesn't like it. The second one being that it's flattering in a shinobi-sense, to be told that. He was a great enough threat that the legendary Fourth Hokage is willing to put a seal on him and could kill him in seconds.
Now, as strange is that is to think, it's true. The life of a shinobi is that of death upon others and one day, death upon oneself. Put into any other situation is foreign to Sasuke and not something he's sure to get used to. Knowing that one wrong move could be his last, relaxes him in a strange sense. That is something he can deal with. This is a field that he knows how to tread.
"Fine," Sasuke says, nodding. Minato looks relieved that Sasuke wasn't insulted by his words. Sasuke looks over at the Third. "What now?"
Minato steps back and lets the Hokage be the one to speak. "We will work through the finer details, I think, and then send the two of you on your way. Minato isn't wrong about what he said. It's important to keep assets that can be vital to the victory in this war on the battle field."
Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "Fine."
Before Sasuke knew it, he was back on the front lines with Minato. There was a lot of talk about Sasuke's new position, a required locator seal and silencing seal so Sasuke couldn't talk about village secrets before he was sent on his way. Minato, if he were a puppy, would practically be swaying back in forth with the force of his wagging metaphorical tail with how much he was practically beaming.
Once again, and probably not for the last time today, he was creeping Sasuke out.
This man's willingness to believe in Sasuke was borderline annoying. Whenever Sasuke dared look at his one time arch rival's dad, the man was either staring at him curiously with knowing eyes, or beaming like an idiot. Now, Sasuke is well aware that the man isn't an idiot, but sometimes he's got to wonder. To be honest, this is Naruto's father, after all.
"Stop that," Sasuke snaps, glaring at the blond, who sits next to him around the fire pit. They were in a forward operating base that pointed toward Iwa forces. If Sasuke squinted his eyes, he could see their camp fires flickering far away in the darkness. The base was alive, people running to and from, heading to bed or just getting up for their shift, just being deployed or just coming in. Those that are gathered around the fire pit, resting or eating their dinner, as it is now mid-evening, stare at Sasuke wearily.
He's a stranger in their camp, and if it were anyone beside him than Minato, his welcome may not have been as smooth. Sasuke came to learn, due to Minato's explanation when they first arrived, this was the main base of operations on this side of the lines and the commanding officer was none other than the infamous Shikaku Nara, now a young man and lacking a signature scar. Sasuke has to wonder when he manages to acquire the facial marking.
Though, his meeting with the man was brief, partly because a busy man like Shikaku Nara can't stay in one place too long, and partly because Minato insisted that Sasuke would need to quickly begin acclimating with his new fellow comrades before he has to head out to fight, Sasuke got the impression that man would be watching him closely. Sasuke wasn't disappointed. This distrustful man was definitely Shikamaru's father.
Shikaku grunted in approval but stared Sasuke down with familiar, narrow, hawk-like eyes, before Sasuke was pulled away by the blond to the fire pit, where he was currently staring into the fire with his one eye as opposed to eating the food that Minato had brought him. He was willing to bet that Minato would try nothing shady and poison his food or anything, but Sasuke was still a shinobi, he was smart enough to know not to act blindly. He would glance down at his plate disinterested before looking back into the flame.
"Are you him?" One of the Leaf ninja asks him, breaking Sasuke of his thoughts.
He stares back blankly, with one eye. "What?"
"The so-called Ghost of Konohargakure?" the man asks incredulously, eyebrows pulled together slightly. The rest of the conversations around the pit grow silent. Even Minato stares at him curiously, as if wanting to see what Sasuke would do.
Sasuke stares back at the man for a long time, trying to decide if it was worth responding to, before deciding not and turning his right eye back toward the fire with a noncommittal grunt. When the man's face twists into a look of both anger and annoyance, Sasuke says, hoping it'll appease them so they leave him alone, "You are welcome to think whatever you want."
The man, about ten years older than Sasuke, glares at the raven haired boy, annoyed. "Why can't you just answer the question?"
Sasuke sighs, not taking his eyes off the man. "Just how imperitive is it that you know the answer? How does that answer impact your life?"
"Hey," one of the other shinobi snaps, "where do you get off?"
"Look," Sasuke says, "I don't care to get along or play nice. Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours. No need for any of this." He waves his hand around between them.
"Sasuke," Minato chides diplomatically, seeing the looks of anger around the fire, "don't you want to get to know the people you'll be working with?"
"No," Sasuke grunts, standing up, the three colorful beads clacking around his neck at the movements. He puts the untouched plate of food onto the stump he was sitting on. "I'll sleep in the forest."
Minato stands as well, holding his half eaten plate, taking a step after the raven haired boy. "That isn't necessary, Sasuke. I have a tent already set up that for you."
Sasuke pauses, looking over his shoulder at the blond. "Don't waste your time or breath. I'll stay close, but there is no reason for me to stay within the camp. Just find me when you need me, I'll be training." With that Sasuke spun on his heel and marched into the forest, ignoring the angry and annoyed glares at his back. Sasuke wasn't exactly sure what made him feel antagonistic toward the Leaf ninja, but Sasuke certainly didn't go into this situation thinking he was going to stay in the camp with them. It would probably be the stupidest thing he's ever done.
At some point, Sasuke would have to sleep and there's no way he'd get comfortable surrounded by Leaf ninja. Especially if his greatest protection was a tent. Besides, he hasn't slept in anything but trees since he got here. He didn't perceive that changing any time soon so it's no love lost having to give up the minute bit of protection that tent could offer him.
Perhaps it's his new affinity for sage arts but Sasuke kind of likes being in the forest, surrounded by all that natural energy. It's the only thing that is soothing to the Rinnegan eye. Even though plants and animals come out as gray with white outlines to the Rinnegan, there is also a faint, pretty glow to them. When Sasuke sits upon the branch he's chosen as his bed at night, he would open his left eye and lay his hand across the rough bark, watching the faint glow absorb into his body. The tree was happily giving it's life energy to him. It had plenty to share.
Because of this, the Rinnegan could see in the dark. So long as there was any sort of life; chakra, humans, plants, the likes, Sasuke's eye could see. It was a good ability to have. Especially during wartime.
Thankfully, Minato doesn't follow Sasuke into the forest. He wouldn't need to, the man could get to him in seconds, both with the hirashin seal and the locator seal that Sasuke has on his person. But, as promised, Sasuke didn't stray too far away from the camp before he climbs up a suitable tree to a branch that could hold him before getting comfortable and closing his eyes.
As expected, Sasuke didn't sleep much that night, constantly scanning the area of approaching threats. No one dared come near him, though. Smart move, while they may be allies, Sasuke is not too keen on allowing people close when he's trying to be alone. Through the night, Sasuke's been sensing out a familiar nighttime companion that has been helping watch over him.
Sasuke opens his eyes when the snake slithers over his hands that he had folded onto his lap. It's yellow eyes glow in the darkness, running it's cold, slimy body over his fingers before curling up into a ball on his lap, keenly watching the world around them for Sasuke to sleep. Sasuke runs the pads of his fingers over the scales of it's back before shifting slightly to get comfortable and closing his eyes.
It's not an overly large snake. Probably Sasuke's arm length plus half, a splash of neutral colors along it's back, shades of browns and dark greens with yellow eyes and a slippery pink tongue that slips between it's mouth every couple of minutes when it hisses. It curls up into it's tight ball and watches the forest, there is a huge lump half-way down it's body, probably a forest mouse. In some ways, it's a mutual protective relationship between them. It watches over Sasuke while he sleeps, and Sasuke's presence scares away predators while it's digesting it's food. Two weeks ago it found Sasuke in one of his trees, getting ready to sleep for the night, and in a moment of loneliness, he beckoned it over.
It curled around his lap and watched the forest that night for Sasuke. It followed him around ever since. To be honest, Sasuke's surprised it found him after he was brought to the Leaf by the Flying Raijin. Maybe the snake was hiding in Sasuke's pack or something so it wouldn't lose him. Either way, it's back and their relationship continues.
Sasuke sit on the branch in silence for a long time, just listening to the sounds of the night before a strange urge comes over him. He shifts slightly, pulling the rectangular band tied around his waist off, holding it up so he can see it through the spaces between the leaves, the moonlight glittering off the smooth metal of the headband. The Konoha symbol stares back at Sasuke, like another reminder that he's not where he should be. This wasn't the headband he was given when he passed the Genin exams.
Not that he wanted that headband back, it's just that everything that was a symbol of who he once was, was slipping away. And he wasn't sure how he felt about that. But like all things, Sasuke doesn't want to think about it right now, so slipping the headband back under the cloak and tying it once more, he closes his eyes and tries to sleep.
It was about dawn when Sasuke finally got up, pulling the snake off of his lap before jumping down to the forest floor and begins scouting the area, getting a lay of the land while it's still early. The snake curls around his right arm and neck, settling around his shoulders as he walks. Sasuke follows the sound of moving water to a large river. He sits down at the edge of the river, extracting the snake from him and letting it down onto the ground. He crosses his legs and closes his eyes, focusing on his breathing and slipping easily into a meditative state.
It's about an hour later when he feels a presence approaching him from behind. He turns his head to the side, opening his right eye to see Minato walking toward him curiously. His head is slightly turned to the side and his steps are long and purposefully. It's almost like he's not trying to disturb Sasuke by being too loud, but doesn't want to run the risk of 'sneaking' up on the younger boy. When Sasuke acknowledges the blond, he smiles and walks a little more normally stopping next to the blue haired boy.
Sasuke looks down to see that the snake was gone, it probably slithered off a while ago.
"Good morning," Minato greets, looking over at the river.
Sasuke grunts in response. He turns his eye back forward before letting it slip closed and he continues his meditation. Sasuke's not sure how he feels about the blond future Hokage. The man is a lot more relaxed around him than he should. Sasuke's an unknown and yet this man keeps acting like they've been friends since the beginning of time. While Sasuke is learning where Naruto got that from, it's still strange.
The Fourth is a wartime baby. He was born and sent to war as a small child. He should be greatly mistrusting of any and all potential threats. Yet, he's not and for some reason, that bothers Sasuke. The man just didn't make sense to him.
Perhaps that's because you're trying to compare him to Naruto, that evil little voice in the back of his head sneers.
Sasuke shakes his head, forcing the evil voice away. Minato gives him a curious look, probably wonder if Sasuke was losing his mind. Sasuke was starting to wonder that himself.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asks, glaring at the blond in the corner of his eye.
Minato's curious look twists into a friendly smile, he lowers down next to Sasuke on his hunches, looking down at the blue haired boy. "How was your night, Sasuke?"
Sasuke glares more. "What do you want?" he repeats, annoyed at being blatantly ignored.
Minato's facial expression doesn't change at all. In fact, if anything, he seems almost amused at Sasuke's temperament, which only serves to annoy the younger man even more.
"It was good, I hope," Minato says kindly.
"Annoying," Sasuke grumbles, turning away again to face the river. "You're annoying me. State what you want or go away."
Minato sighs, as if he's dealing with an undisciplined child which aggravates Sasuke to no end. The blond couldn't be that much older than him and to be honest, war doesn't make a man wise. It just makes him an asshole, it seems. Sasuke might hate him, just like he hated Naruto. Both father and son annoy him to no end. What is with Sasuke's rotten luck with blonds? Why can't they leave him alone?
Sasuke's already deeply regretting going to see the Third. He should have ran when he has the chance. It's too late for regrets now.
"Sasuke," Minato says, resting his elbows on his knees, letting them be outstretched forward while he hunches over them, staring at Sasuke between long blond strands falling into his eyes, "are you ready to head out today?"
Sasuke turns his right eye toward the blond, face blank. "Is that what you're bothering me over? Don't bother me until we leave. I'll be ready."
Minato smiles a bit. "Don't you want some company?"
"No," Sasuke says blandly, turning away and closing his eye, "now go away."
This draws a laugh from the blond as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. His laugh is soft and breathless, eyes closed with wrinkles around his eyes and nose, Sasuke could see his handsome face in his own peripheral. It just further annoys the blue haired boy.
"Very well, Sasuke," Minato says, sounding amused. "I'll leave you alone, then." He stands up, he goes up on his tip-toes and holds his hands up high, cracking his back. He settles back onto the balls of his feet, looking down at Sasuke. There is a moment of hesitation before he finally asks, "Is there anything I can get for you?"
"No," Sasuke says, letting out a long deep breath, forcing himself to relax and ignore the blond.
"Then I'll be back in a bit," Minato says softly before walking off. His footsteps are soft and quiet, like a trained predator stalking the forest for his prey. The thought causes Sasuke to open his eyes a bit and turn around to see that Minato was gone. Sasuke lets out a long winded sigh before turning back around and forcing himself to continue with his meditation.
"...we'll need support for the left flank," Shikaku was saying, pulling Sasuke from his day dreaming to look around the command tent. There is a about two dozen jounin standing around a map in the center of the tent. Minato stands to Sasuke left, hiding in his blind spot but the only one Sasuke is willing to bet wouldn't just attack him out of the blue. If the blond wanted to, he could have long ago.
Shikaku's hawk-like brown eyes scan the room, looking at each of the shinobi before him, stopping only on one person: Sasuke.
"Think you can handle that, mister...?" Shikaku says in a drawl reminiscent of Shikamaru's.
Sasuke returns his gaze with his right eye. "Yeah, I can." He doesn't know what he was told to do, but surely it can't be too hard.
"Do you even know what is needed of you?" One of the other jounin ask, unmistakable Uchiha black eyes locked on him. "Do you even know what Lord Nara asked for you to do?"
Sasuke shrugs his shoulders, unimpressed. He has no memories of this obvious double-of-a-cousin he probably once had. "Does it matter? I'm just here to pick up your slack."
"What did you say?" the Uchiha snaps.
"How dare you?" another jounin growls. All eyes now narrowed at Sasuke. The tension in the room becomes tangible in the air, Shikaku is the only one that doesn't react, even the other tacticians in the room turn around with wide eyes.
"How dare I what?" Sasuke asks, emotionlessly, turning his right eye away from the Uchiha to enraged brown haired jounin a few people away from him. He heads for the tent opening only for someone to reach out and grab Sasuke's inner left elbow, holding him in place. It's the Uchiha.
"Aren't you some sort of Uchiha?" the man asks, glaring down at Sasuke. "Is this how you're going to represent the clan?"
Sasuke's upper lip curls in disgust.
"Sasuke!" Minato calls out, a hint of warning in his voice. "Kei, let him go." He orders in a tone that is almost strange in the man's normally soft, kind voice. He's walking toward them with narrowed blue eyes. "Sasuke, we all have to work together, must you antagonize the people who are watching your back?" His voice is softer again, putting a hand on the Uchiha's, Kei's, shoulder. The Uchiha releases his grip on Sasuke's arm.
"Watching my back?" Sasuke asks incredulously. "I wouldn't trust these fools to find their ass with both hands and a map." That causes an uproar, now everyone is insulted, except for Shikaku. He's still standing where he was, at the head of the table, staring at Sasuke with his hawk eyes, picking the boy apart. "I've heard what they've done to people who were watching the backs of fellow Leaf ninja."
"Oh yeah?" one of the jounin growls, glaring daggers at Sasuke. "And what's that?"
Sasuke turns his gaze toward the man and in an eerily calm voice, somehow heard over the angered din, "The White Fang." And then he leaves.
Sasuke didn't originally think much about the story of the White Fang when Orochimaru told him, off-handedly one day while he was meditating. He didn't much care here or there about the woes of the people in the Hidden Leaf, but Orochimaru, for one of the many strange reasons that Orochimaru does the weird things that he does, kept telling the story.
It wasn't until he got to the end, with a sickening chuckle revealed the true name of the White Fang, "Sakumo Hatake. Your once beloved Sensei's father, Sasuke."
And that stuck with Sasuke. He mulled over it every once and a while over the years, as it was near the beginning of his time with Orochimaru. And every time he saw his Sensei afterward, he would think about that, even during the battle with Kaguya, somewhere in the back of his head, he wondered how someone so patriotic to the Leaf could be, when his father was forced into suicide by the same people he puts his life on the line for.
The thought of Orochimaru lying to him, had crossed his mind, on more than one occasion and on multiple different things, but anyone Sasuke asked; Kabuto or other Hidden Sound shinobi about it, their stories were all the same. He was on a mission, failed it to save the life of a comrade, and was later pushed to suicide by the Leaf's treatment of him afterwards.
Perhaps Orochimaru told him that story to show just how corrupt the Leaf was, which was later confirmed when Sasuke learned the truth about the death of his clan. A coup de ta that they never saw through to the end.
Either way, the thought of the White Fang returned to Sasuke on his way to the front line. Thankfully he memorized the map of where they needed to go before he began to zone out or he'd be completely lost.
"Sasuke," Minato's voice right over his right shoulder pulls him from his thoughts.
"What?" Sasuke snaps, glaring at the blond with both eyes. No one was immediately around them and he had full reserves.
Minato stares at him with a small crease between his two eyebrows. "About Sakumo - er, the White Fang..." he trails off, as if unsure of how to proceed. "It's not... it's not all black and white like you seem to believe..."
Sasuke scoffs, shaking his head. "I don't want to talk about the White Fang. I don't want to talk about what happened back there. I don't want to talk at all. Just shut up and let it go."
Minato doesn't speak for a long time, probably trying to organize his thoughts, before finally saying, softly, "Did you know Sakumo?"
"No," Sasuke says, turning his gaze forward, jumping to the next branch, the beads around his neck clacking together. There was a long pause, and Sasuke gets the feeling that there was more that the blond wanted to ask, so he looks over at him and snaps, "What?"
Minato stares at him with an unreadable expression on his face. "You just..." he hesitates, looking like he'll just leave the thought alone before deciding against it and continuing, "You just look like you took Sakumo's death personally... I was just curious if you knew him..."
"I didn't," Sasuke says blandly. "It's just more proof, that's all."
Minato stares at him, stopping on the next branch. Sasuke hesitates, stopping three branches ahead of him, but doesn't turn to look back at him. After a long, tense, silence, Minato finally says, "Proof of what?"
Sasuke shakes his head. "How fucked up the Leaf is," he says, words being carried away by the wind. He doesn't know if Minato heard him, nor does he care. He keeps going, eager now to get into battle and let his body do all the thinking for him. It's only a few seconds before Minato catches up. Sasuke doesn't look back to see his expression, not even all that sure he wants to, and Minato doesn't speak again the rest of the way to the front lines.
For the Reviewers:
1. YOCELIN: Thank you!
2. silly60: Thank you!
3. Mizuki hikari: Thank you for your feedback. I brought in a nighttime companion, sorry, it's not Minato yet, but this snake is a symbol of Sasuke's connection to his summons. It'll show that some things can't be lost and you'll see that in the chapters to come. Thanks again!
4. Anime fangirl amb15: Yeah, sorry about the wait. I hope you liked it!
5. erison: Yeah, I kinda had to get the story going, but Sasuke's still very connected to his ability to travel. He's not ready to sacrifice his freedom just yet. But all good things - especially those that we want - have to come to an end some day. The way I see it, Sasuke doesn't so much blame Hiruzen for the death of his clan, so much as the elders. I think he likes the old man for looking after him and keeping the promise to Itachi, but ultimately views the man as weak because while he is the Hokage, he allowed things, such as the death of the Uchiha clan, to go but unpunished and under the radar.
6. SexyZexy: Thank you very much. I just really love his End outfit. ouo.
7. melamariannie: Thank you!
8. Kurai O: Aw, thank you. I'm starting to like pair as well, especially for what I have planned for the future. :3
9. CherishRedemption: I'm sorry! I hope you liked it!
10. Binx23: Yeah, I'm starting to like the premise as well. Just so we are on the same page, I completely agree with you. Sasuke is godly, especially now in the past but keep in mind, Sasuke, essentially lost the battle against Kaguya. I want it to be viewed, as least from Sasuke's point of view, that he's not quite strong enough yet. He doesn't have the mastery he needs yet. In a way, that'll stem back to whenever he thinks about his timeline. Everyone he knew was gone. The people that he would have ultimately laid his life down for were all gone. Yet another way to shove Sasuke's inadequate as a shinobi into the boy's face again. Because once again, he wasn't good enough. And yes, the reasoning behind Naruto's choice to send Sasuke there will haunt him - possibly forever and he'll eventually have to find some way to deal with it. Right now, he's dealing with it by lashing out at all Leaf Shinobi. I hope that clears it up a bit!
11. Picas Lei-Fur: Thank you very much! I hope you continue to enjoy it!
12. The Secret Sal: Thank you!
13. Bloodstained Element: Thank you very much for taking the time to review!
14. Sandsibscrazy: Thank you!