How long has it been? A few months have been passed, but it still felt like yesterday. The raven haired boy has been training with the snake sannin ever since then. He started to get the hang of using Mangekyou and the seal. However he was still deeply fatigued whenever he used them. Sasuke breathed deeply, panting. His eye bled again, he instantly put his hand to the pained area. The seal he used seeped back and he returned to his normal form.
Orochimaru watched the Uchiha. The Mangekyou is great, indeed. But it has its side-effect whenever they're used. Orochimaru thought if he could work to remove that side-effect, so that Sasuke's body would be the perfect one for him when the time comes.
Sasuke still panted heavily. It was painful, painful… No, it was not the Mangekyou that inflicted most of the pain; each time Sasuke used the eye, he only kept getting reminded of Naruto's death. His own mind is killing him- blaming him- it's your fault, it's your fault, it's your fault. 'Shut up,…!' Sasuke replied back to that mind repeatedly. Sobbing a bit, and then panting again. He tried to forget that gruesome image, over and over.
That was the only weakness Sasuke had, Orochimaru thought. The boy is weak. His mind is weak. But it wouldn't matter as long as he creates the perfect body for him. "The training is over," Orochimaru said. Sasuke didn't seem to listen. He stayed on his place, panting heavily. "Oi, did you hear me?" Orochimaru asked.
Sasuke let out a scream and dashed to a rock, attacking and destroying it into pieces.
"I won't train you. I will be returning to hideout." Orochimaru informed again.
"Doesn't matter," Sasuke replied. "I will train by myself."
"You will only destroy yourself. You are not that used to those powers yet."
"Don't care." Sasuke replied again. "I will get used to it."
Orochimaru got a bit annoyed by his attitude, but let him be. "Fine, then." He turned and started walking away. "I will be returning to the hideout first, then."
Sasuke continued training by himself, even though he started to tire himself out. Not enough. He needed to get stronger. He already got the power, he need to get stronger. He needed to master it. More, more…! He destroyed yet another rock. Sasuke stopped for a while, catching another breath. He looked up. It would be a vain if he is not able to master it after what he did to gain it in first place. He will definitely master these powers.
He knew he will.
Umino Iruka has lost his family once. Ninjas die any day, any time. It was a normal thing. There was totally nothing new. Another month has passed since that incident. How long was it already? Two? Three? Maybe four? Iruka has lost count. The teacher walked through Konoha's streets. It was normal. It was a perfectly normal day for him. Everything was… normal. He is used to this. He is used being alone. He has a lot of students. His comrades die in missions. But something clearly feel very different.
The man looked up to the sky and sighed. What could you possibly be doing now, Naruto? Iruka asked. Uzumaki Naruto was no one special, but to him, he is one person who Iruka felt like having a son whenever he was with him. Uzumaki Naruto was another part of his family, after he lost his actual ones. Iruka never had a family of his own, but if one would wonder how it would feels like to own a son, Naruto is a son Iruka never had. He was the one and only family Iruka had before he was gone, again.
Does Kami forbade me to have any family? Iruka thought to himself. It doesn't really matter, or it should be. But Iruka couldn't help from feeling hurt. There's just this pain in the chest, as he would call it. Iruka only could smile, like what he did before. It was a long time ago. He didn't recall that feeling to be this hurt. Or was it? He has already forgotten.
Iruka entered his favorite ramen shop, opening the curtain and sit down on his usual seat. "One miso ramen," He ordered. Teuchi gave his usual smile, "One miso ramen coming right up!" He replied as he prepared the meal. Iruka looked to his side, just another empty chair. A sad smile formed on his lips. He opened his wallet and checked his money amount. He just gave a small laugh.
Back then, he could run out of money just in a single night.
"You are going to treat me today, Iruka-sensei?" The blond boy smiled excitedly.
"Yeah, sure." Iruka smiled. "Because you did good on your last mission, I heard. So, I will treat you to a bowl of-"
"Occhan! 6 miso ramen!" Naruto instantly ordered.
"O-oi! I said one bowl!"
And then the money he just gained on that day gone just like that.
Iruka smiled at the memory. Hey, look at the bright side, he thought. He can save up more money now. It was only a thought he forced to make him feel better. It was a lie if that could lift the pain in his chest just like that.
Iruka was so lost in his thoughts that he was surprised when his order was done already.
"There you go." Teuchi said, giving him the bowl of ramen.
"Thanks." Iruka said. "Itadakimasu," he said. Not that excited that his food was there, but he smiled any way. He would like him to smile, won't he? So he won't let him down. He is a teacher. He was just a teacher. He was no one special. He was not a father. He was not anything to him, just a teacher. But Iruka knew more than anyone that Naruto wouldn't like it if Iruka got drown in sadness.
He stared at the naruto on his ramen before devouring it into his mouth. Sakura is training hard with Tsunade, and go to missions with Kakashi and others. He also heard that she is planning to take on another chuunin exam that will be coming soon.
Teuchi didn't say anything, but he is doing his job just like how he normally does it. He seemed unaffected, but Iruka knew he was just hiding it. After all, the man has lost so many of his favorite customers in missions. Some day, he would talk about it with Teuchi. The day Teuchi heard Naruto was gone, he just stayed quiet for a while. Before smiling, saying that Naruto probably went for a bigger ramen feast in ramen heaven. Iruka smiled back, saying that Naruto would. However, Iruka knew Teuchi was also hiding his sadness.
It was just yet another loss. It was nothing special.
The two never brought up the topic about Naruto anymore.
Outside the ramen shop, the academy teacher could hear noises of three young ninjas- his class' student.
The loud and noisy one, Konohamaru- used to be so close with the very Uzumaki Naruto himself.
Hearing about Naruto's death should give the kid a lot of impact. Especially that Konohamaru was still very young. And none of his generation experienced death around their presence, totally unlike Umino Iruka's generation- a generation where a gigantic beast fox known as the Kyuubi attacked the whole village. Iruka could remember the memory of that day in a blink of an eye.
Yet, Sarutobi Konohamaru was laughing and running around with his friends, Udon and Moegi. With the green goggles placed on their foreheads as the replacement of the hitaite they haven't receive. Just like how Naruto used to be. The kids are so strong, Iruka thought.
Then again, Konohamaru has lost his grandfather during Orochimaru's attack to the village. Naruto would be the second loss Konohamaru personally affected by. But that doesn't escape that finding laugh on his face is not something praise-able for a kid like Konohamaru.
Then again, back there Naruto was like this… Iruka thought. The boy was always alone, hated, and unwanted by the village. Yet he still smiles around with that goofy whiskered face of his, declaring that he would be the Hokage someday over and over. Uzumaki Naruto was strong. Compared to Umino Iruka, the nine-tailed fox vessel was much stronger.
Iruka tidied up his empty bowl once he was done with his meal. "Goshujinsamadeshita," He said. Iruka's belly was now filled. He got up and smiled, only this time with determination.
I won't lose too!
Killing Itachi was Sasuke's main objective that time. Keeping that in mind, so that he wouldn't waste the power he gained through the sacrifice he had to make. That was the sole and only reason for him to gain that power in first place. Once he was done mastering it, he would kill Itachi for sure. Sasuke thought. Dying is not a choice. This is a mission he must fulfill.
He returned back to the lair quite late. He was exhausted, but that didn't really matter. One night's sleep was enough to refill his energy, Sasuke thought. That was his usual routine here in Orochimaru's hideout. Wake up while sweating a lot, emotional breakdown, refusing and got mad during breakfast, going to train, exhaust himself, returning to hideout, falling into nightmare in his sleep. It was pretty normal as for the late months.
That night was a bit different, as Sasuke thought to ask Orochimaru about something regarding to Itachi. He knew the snake guy used to be a member of Akatsuki, so he might spill out information from Orochimaru and begin to form his assassination plan.
Sasuke was about to knock the door and enter Orochimaru's room, until he accidently overheard the conversation between the snake sannin and his trusted underling. Normally, Sasuke wouldn't care what the two were talking about, however a certain name was mentioned in their conversation and made Sasuke stopped on his track.
Naruto.
What the heck could they possibly be thinking about that guy?
Luckily for Sasuke, the two hasn't noticed his presence. So the Uchiha calmly listened as the conversation go.
"Indeed, it was totally a waste." Orochimaru's voice said. "To think yet another jinchuuriki has passed away. It would be much better if we could get our hands on Kyuubi."
Jinchuuriki? Kyuubi?
"Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto replied. "The Akatsuki are chasing against the Kyuubi as well. This would ruin their plan."
The Akatsuki?
"Indeed," Orochimaru replied. Sasuke could imagine the grin on the snake guy's mouth right about now. "The chakra of the Kyuubi has scattered. If we could collect them before they do, they will be very pissed."
At first, Sasuke thought the only reason for Itachi to be after Naruto was to kill yet another of his loved ones. So it was not that… What is a Jinchuuriki?
Didn't the fourth kill the Kyuubi?
"We need to create a new vessel since Naruto is dead." Orochimaru said. "Using humans as tools would cause another failure… living things can die easily, and when they die, the chakras will scatter once again." Orochimaru thought about that.
Naruto was the nine-tails' vessel?
"So,… what do we do about that, Orochimaru-Sama?" Kabuto asked. "Unlike them, we don't have anything to store the chakras in."
Store? What is the Akatsuki actually up to?
"Fufufu…" Orochimaru chuckled. "That's why, Kabuto. We should just create it. We can model it after that huge statue the Akatsuki got. And when the chakras are collected, we can summon Kyuubi by creating another pill that allows one that drinks that thing to be able to summon Kyuubi."
Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. So the Kyuubi didn't die, and Naruto was originally the Kyuubi's vessel. The Akatsuki was going after the tailed beast and up to something with it… It shouldn't take a genius to figure out how dangerous getting one into possessing such power. Neither Akatsuki and Orochimaru could be trusted. The Kyuubi was not theirs to start with, and if there was someone who deserves Kyuubi's power, that person was none other than Naruto. Sasuke felt he just gained a new determination.
Forget about Itachi, that thing is secondary.
"It's going to be a while to go through that list." Orochimaru said. "Don't ever let Sasuke know about this. He's probably going crybaby all over his dead boyfriend again and then decides to collect Kyuubi for his own."
"Yes, Orochimaru-Sama."
Too late. Sasuke thought. He walked away from that spot. He is going to gather more information from now on. He was thinking to let Orochimaru finish with the new 'vessel' and the pill before anything else. He felt disgusted at how many people wanting to use Kyuubi for their own purpose.
Kyuubi belongs to Naruto, and Naruto only.
Sure, he was the one who killed Naruto. The Uchiha still hasn't forgiven himself for killing his best friend over some power. He was no different with these guys- who tried to use Naruto for the power stored inside of him. However, that thing is going to change now.
Maybe this way… Naruto would forgive him. Wait, he is always forgiving. Maybe… he could forgive himself.
All the guilt and regret he felt up to this day, maybe this is a way to be saved from his sins. He would protect the power Naruto has- once had, from the likes of them.
Sasuke had decided.
As he walked into the dark hall and his room, Uchiha Sasuke opened a new page in his mind to draw a whole new plan right from the scratch.
This is his road of redemption.
.
.
If that's the only way I could be saved from my sins,
I would draw out my sword and walk on the same path as you did.
...
[redemption
re·demp·tion
rəˈdem(p)SH(ə)n/
1. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.
2. the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.]
Woah, it was really surprising at how long it took me to finish this chapter.
Finally things are going to be more interesting 83 Actually, me myself would say that things are getting interesting when we reaches the parallel of Shippuden arcs… Which I could say, is in more or less two more chapters. We will start on Gaara retrieval arc once the first part is done. Hopefully I have the patience to finish the entire thing up until the end =v=
I also have an idea of some bonus, special episodes using the world setting of SD(Super Deform) with Rock Lee as the main character. It could be some special episodes, or sitting on different story. But seeing I would probably run out of ideas if I make Redemption SD: Rock Lee no Seishun a whole fic series, most likely I gonna put the Redemption SD special in some chapters whenever I finish some certain arcs or number of chapters. So, yeah… expect the fillers! xDDDD
I am pretty surprised at the amount of follow this fanfic receives. I am sorry if this fic is not updated as daily as you thought, or up to your expectations: after all, I just wishes to let things out that are stuck in my head for quite a while XD
I wonder if I make things sounds too much like a stupid sappy soap opera. I hoped I am not making it too much like that. Any way, I am happy you stayed to read my shitty author comments. I appreciate you to stay up till the end.
So, then. Until next time.
~Pii