The Dishonored Raven, the Fox that Never Was, & the Man that Wept
By Pyro Yuki
~Author's Note~ (Please review!)
+2000 VIEWS! ^-^ Thank you all! That's PRETTY amazing. (-hope you all are reading ALL the chapters. ;))
Sasuke's past is truly revealed and read to see his reaction! Hinata's reaction is next!
~~I'm debating to type out Naruto's 'dream-memories' or not. If you want me to do it or not, let me know!
~Enjoy!
… Tends to mean a tiny time skip or some other scene
Italics are the words inside the dream.
All original characters and story belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 6: Sasuke Uchiha's Nightmare
Silence filed out over the Leaf Village until the clock hand hit 1 AM…that was the moment when Sasuke and Hinata Hyuga's screams could be heard from the Hyuga Compound, piercing any silence in the night air.
Minutes before 1AM…
Sasuke Hyuga found himself walking through the inner depths of his mind in his dreams. He was walking down a narrow hallway filled with doors on both sides. The only reason he knew he was actually inside his inner mind was because when he opened one door, he saw himself on the other side of the door.
The first sight of himself was him as a baby. He was wrapped in cloth and in the arms of some pretty black haired woman. She had the same black eyes and was looking down at him with joy.
"Sasuke…Your name is Sasuke Uchiha." She cooed to him.
Sasuke stiffened. If that was him, why did she call him an Uchiha? Wasn't that the Clan that Itachi of the Akatsuki massacred in one night? "You're wrong. My name is Sasuke Hyuga." But his voice was left unheard to the person in front of him. Images phased in and out in front of him for a while until he saw himself as a toddler walking his first steps.
The people around him had faces he couldn't work out. But they were talking to him, playing with him, or watching him from afar.
Suddenly he was pulled out of that room with the door closing in front of his nose. He took a few steps back. "What is going on here?"
A door behind him opened in response and Sasuke looked inside. He was maybe two years old then and running around a huge house like a crazy kid.
"Look at Sasuke go, Itachi. He's got such a spirit." The same woman from the kitchen giggled.
"It's hard for me to catch him." A boy with longer black hair pulled in a low pony-tail chuckled back. Sasuke recognized him as Itachi Uchiha.
"What is Itachi-"
"Mooom! Phook! Phook! VVVRRRRROOOOMMMM!" Sasuke cried out, bursting into the kitchen with arms spread out.
"MOM? That's not my mom! W...why is Itachi in my house? Wait, my house?! This isn't the Main Hyuga House!" Sasuke was getting more confused by the moment but one thing was for certain- whatever was going on, this two year old boy was Sasuke.
"I see that, Sasuke. Why don't you and your big brother go play outside before dinner?"
Sasuke smiled brightly at her then looked at Itachi and pulled at his arm. "Phlay wif me, bother!"
Sasuke's heart froze as Itachi stood up and walked outside with little Sasuke.
"B-Brother?! Itachi's not my brother! Where is Hinata?!" Sasuke yelled, looking every which way for Hinata.
But just as it did before, images swam before his eyes of many events. Only this time, feelings came to him as well. Feelings of family, comfort, excitement, joy, and love. All were directed at the woman little Sasuke called Mother, Itachi, and a man the other him called Father.
And just like before he was thrown out of the room back out into the hallway. Sasuke was shaking this time. His eyes wide with emotion. It was wrong…it was ALL wrong! These weren't his memories!
The door closed and yet another opened. This time, Sasuke wanted to run away. He didn't want to see a memory full of lies! But somehow he was forced to anyway.
It kept happening again and again, each year with little Sasuke getting one more year older. More feelings of attachment and love towards his Uchiha Mother, Father, Itachi, and new people he had never met before in his life. But he all recognized them as family.
Besides the strange memories of the Uchiha, Sasuke noticed that every other man and woman in the Leaf Village was a shinobi. He passed through numbers of people with the same headband and symbol on them as Kakashi-sensei's. They were all filled with energy and when Sasuke recognized some of the people as a Hyuga Clan member, none of the other people reacted in fear or anger. They just never glanced at them or just greeted them with a warm welcome. Like friends…like comrades. Something inside Sasuke felt happy to see that. He was still largely confused about why shinobi were even around in the present, but it looked almost…normal.
Sasuke didn't even see Hinata until the day before little Sasuke's first day of school. Little Sasuke's Father and Sasuke's Father were sitting on cushions like in a formal meeting. Hinata and little Sasuke were sitting beside them.
Sasuke blinked at his sister. She looked timid and unsure of herself. It felt wrong.
"Sasuke, this is Hinata Hyuga. She's heiress to the Hyuga Clan and will be starting school the same time as you. It's important that you know this so as you don't embarrass her Clan or ours." Little Sasuke's Father stated. His voice was rather harsh.
Hiashi Hyuga nodded back in reply but no realization brightened his eyes as he looked at little Sasuke.
"P-p-pleased to meet you, Uchiha-san." Hinata bowed her head politely at little Sasuke. The real Sasuke felt sick. Hinata was his sister! She shouldn't be acting like this!
"Nice to meet you." Little Sasuke replied with a nod. The fake Sasuke didn't really care to be there though.
"Hinata! What's-"
Sasuke flinched as a large flow of memories struck against his head. Memories of his first day as Sasuke Uchiha, ninja practice, getting admired by all the girls in his classmates, wanting his father's approval, wanting to beat Itachi for once. Every feeling hit him like a punch to the stomach or chest.
It kept on happening until Sasuke didn't know if this was fake at all. The memories and feelings were coming to him in the spur of the moment like his own. Suddenly, he wasn't WATCHING the memories unfold, he was IN the memories as little Sasuke.
The burning need to perfect the Fireball Jutsu in front of his Father and beat Itachi was the strongest feelings inside him. All he cared about was not to be compared to Itachi, the perfect Uchiha. He wanted to be his own person and be even greater. It felt similar to his feelings towards Naruto but somehow, it just wasn't the same.
Until the 8th door opened. The original night of the Uchiha massacre...
Sasuke was running home because he had stayed too late at practice at the Academy. He didn't want to miss dinner. The moon was full that night and was rising up into the sky.
Suddenly, Sasuke felt a shiver run down his spine. Like someone was watching him. He stopped for a second and looked around the Uchiha Compound he knew like the back of his hand. Nothing seemed out of place…except.
"The lights…it's too early for everyone to be in bed." Sasuke announced to the night's silence. Then he resumed his running towards his house. He turned the corner to the main road and stood there, staring unblinkingly at what was in front of him.
"W-wha…What is this?!" He squeaked. The whole street looked like a fight scene. Kunai and shuriken were imbedded into the stone walls, slashes were cut into the Uchiha banners, and blood splattered all around the ground and walls. On the ground were the Uchiha Clan members.
Sasuke began to tremble. It was NOTHING at all like the pictures he had seen in books. They didn't seem real. But this WAS real!
"W-what is going on?! What is happening?!" His voice echoed around the dead silent street. He forced himself to run passed all the dead Clan members.
Eventually he slowed to a stop. He stared frighten-eyed at the two elderly figures at his feet.
"Uncle…Auntie...?"His voice and eyes quivered. He continued to stare until…
"Oh no! Father and Mother!" He started in a full-on sprint towards his house. He hoped that this was all just a bad dream! His heart was hollow with shock at what he had seen around him. Who could have done this?!
He wrenched the sliding door open and hurriedly took off his shoes and threw down his bag before calling out, "Mother?! Father?!"
Only silence greeted him this time and it terrified him. Not even the lights were on. He walked trembling throughout the whole house in total darkness until-
A loud strange noise thudded hard on the floor somewhere in the house. Startled, Sasuke rushed to see if it was his parents.
He reached for the door handles when he heard a second strange noise thump onto the floor inside. Sasuke's spine shivered in fear. He knew he had to open the door but a part of him was terrified of what he would find on the other side. Was the person responsible for ALL of this behind this door? Were his Father and Mother behind this door?! All he knew was that someone was inside the room before him.
His breathe suddenly got lodged between his throat. He found it hard to breath but he unconsciously was gasping really deeply anyway. His whole body was going into shock where he stood.
'Move!...Move! Come on! MOVE!' Sasuke tried to will himself and slowly opened the doors together to reveal complete darkness. His eyes slowly moved to the only spot with light.
Terror gripped young Sasuke's heart as he saw his death father lying over his equally murdered mother. Blood splattered the room everywhere.
"FATHER! MOTHER!" Sasuke screamed, running into the room. He wasn't even aware that the doors closed behind him.
He stared in absolute horror at them for only a moment longer before he heard footsteps come from out of the darkness. He saw his brother, Itachi, standing half a foot away over their dead parents. His Sharingan was activated and had three tomoes circled around his iris.
"Big brother! Itachi! Father and Mother have been…who could-"
*SHING*
Sasuke gasped as a four star shuriken whizzed past him and impaled the doors behind him. A second later, a cut appeared in Sasuke's shoulder.
He gasped at the pain. He looked at it and grabbed it as it started to bleed.
"W-what are you-?!" Sasuke yelped, looking up at his big brother. However, Itachi remained impassive. Moments ticked by and a sudden thought crashed through the young Uchiha's mind-
He did it.
"You…what have you done?!" Sasuke screamed.
"Foolish little brother, I pity you."
Heartbeats passed as Itachi opened his eyes again. "Mangekyo Sharingan."
Sasuke's heart shuttered as his world was turned blood red and white. He was suddenly back on the street he had been before running home. He heard sounds and voices too mixed together to possibly pick out.
One by one, his Clan members fell before him once more. Sasuke tried to run but he couldn't even move.
Horrified by each falling Clanmate, he whimpered inside his head. His voice couldn't even work. Shuriken whizzed through the air, followed by blood…white blood.
Sasuke screamed loudly. "Stop it! Itachi! Why are you showing me this?! Why did you do this to our Clan?!"
He continued to scream as members of their Clan ran at Itachi with the intention to take him down. But they were quickly killed off. He even saw his Uncle and Auntie killed without mercy.
They were suddenly back in the room but everything was black and white.
"NO! NOT FATHER AND MOTHER! STOP IT, ITACHI!" Sasuke screamed at the top of his lungs. That was when his sword went down and red blood splashed out everywhere.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
His voice echoed back into the real world. Sasuke slumped to his knees, holding his head. He was trying desperately to get that image out of his mind while pain and sorrow gripped his heart.
He lost the feeling in his body and collapsed onto the wooden ground, panting hard. His vision blurred.
"W...Why?" He mustered up his voice, trying to get back up. But his whole body was trembling too badly.
"To test the limits…of my ability."
"To test your ability?" Sasuke whispered back.
Itachi stared back.
"Y-your telling me…That that was the reason…you butchered every single member of our Clan?" His voice grew stronger. A new emotion was beginning to rise up above the fear…above the sorrow.
Itachi didn't answer right away. "What else?"
"Itachi…You're out of your mind!" Sasuke rose up to his feet and shot out at Itachi to attack him in a furious rage.
Itachi didn't even flinch as he punched his fist into his little brother's stomach. Sasuke let out a gasp and became still. He collapsed onto the ground.
Adrenaline pumped into his body and he raised his chin to see his fallen parents. Tears welled in his eyes but as Itachi's foot came near, he realized he had to run. He turned and fled for his meaningless life.
'I'm scared…' His only thoughts ran through his mind as tears flowed from his cheeks as he was sprinting down the streets.
"I don't wanna die!"
But his brother stood before him but a yard away. Sasuke knew that he was going to be killed. He'd see his Father and Mother only minutes away.
"You're not even worth killing. Foolish little brother…If you wish to kill me one day, then foster your hatred and despise me. Surviving like this…flee. Cling to your pathetic life."
"Then seek me out." He finished, before disappearing completely.
When little Sasuke was passed out, the Sasuke Hyuga part of his soul was thrown out. As the aftermath of this massacre unfolded before Sasuke, the 12 year old gripped his chest, sweating terribly.
Sasuke Hyuga had never seen anything so…so…so hell-like in his whole life! The pain of Naruto's betrayal felt like a bee-sting compared to this! Why…Why did this happen?! Nothing about it seemed right and NOTHING about it was glorious like in the textbooks! It was pure murder…a slaughter of pigs.
He was barely aware that he had moved on to the next room and the one after that. Each one left a bitter taste in Sasuke. Each one had darkness in his chest that was growing with each year. The happy innocent boy Uchiha had died that night after all. In its place was an emotionless boy bent only on murdering his brother and avenging his Clan and family. All that spiraled into Sasuke Hyuga against his will. He could only witness and feel this eternal pain.
He could almost feel himself slipping away as well…but only one light seemed to keep him from breaking into pieces.
Naruto Uzumaki. The class idiot and Village trickster. This Naruto was different as well as Hinata. This Naruto was bent on out-shining Sasuke at every turn to win the affections of his classmates, who were also very different. And if…no, WHEN this Naruto failed, he'd just snap out and try again even harder. It was like seeing a whole other world play through. He wasn't a friend or a rival to this Sasuke. In fact, he didn't even think of him as in the same LEAGUE as the Uchiha. Nothing more than a loser. But he sure was…amusing.
Another thing was that odd was the…girls. They were openly swooning over him wither he gave a response or not. Ino and Sakura especially. It shocked Sasuke Hyuga to see this whole new side of Sakura- confident, loud, determined…only over Sasuke and her studies of course. Ino was no different, though he hair was longer. That was all annoying even to the real Sasuke, and wrong.
The years progressed until the other Sasuke looked like a spitting image of Sasuke Hyuga…except he always looked moody and annoyed with the world. Like they were all just getting in his way and blocking him from his revenge.
"Team Seven- Naruto Uzumaki…Sakura Haruno-"
"YES!" Naruto jumped out of his seat. He was dressed in an orange jumpsuit.
"No…" Sakura groaned, planting her forehead onto the desk in depression.
"And Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka-sensei finished.
"YEAH!" Sakura squealed, pumping her fists into the air while Naruto groaned into his desk.
"Hn…" Sasuke Uchiha grunted in response, not looking at either of them. His chin resting on the back of his folded hands.
"Iruka-sensei! Why is it that I'm stuck with someone like Sasuke?! I'm a great ninja! I don't need him!"
"Simple. He had the best graduating test scores and you had the worst. To balance everyone out, we put the best student with the worst student."
"GRRR!" Naruto retorted while everyone laughed.
"Just stay out of my way…Loser."
"What'ch you say?!" Naruto snapped.
The rest was shown to Sasuke like the many times before.. Sasuke's eyes grew wide when he realized that Kakashi-sensei had been his sensei in that world too. But as he continued to watch, the darkness only lessened briefly, before coming back in full force. Sasuke Uchiha was leaving the Hidden Leaf Village in his quest for power and power alone. Not even Naruto could stop him.
Sasuke Hyuga finally opened his eyes and found himself in his bedroom. His sheets were in a mess that showed he had tossed and turned all night long. A line was sweat was still on his brow. He could hear the birds outside the window like he always had but it brought him no comfort this time. He stared at the ceiling with his reawakened Sharingan though he didn't know it.
Is this…even my home? Who…Who am I? Am I Sasuke Hyuga…or Uchiha?
He became vaguely aware that someone was knocking at his door.
"Lord Sasuke? Your Father requested that you be woken up. It's almost lunch time." A servant called through the door.
Sasuke stared hollow-eyed at the door. His 'Father', huh?
"Lord Sasuke?" The servant asked again.
"I'll be out in a minute." Sasuke rasped loudly. Even his voice somehow felt foreign to him. Slowly and as if someone else was forcing him to move, he pulled back the covers and stepped out of his bed. He looked himself in the mirror across from the bed. He hardly even noticed his new red eyes.
He was as hollow on the outside as Sasuke Uchiha was on the inside. His eyes showed it, and he had no will left to pull himself out of it. Was this all because of his chakra ceremony?
So this is what Hiashi and Hizashi were talking about…I have changed. I can't even tell if I'm me or someone that no longer looks like me. He didn't even call them Father and Uncle anymore. After all, who were they REALLY to him?
As zombified as Sasuke currently was, he slipped into his black and blue haori, hardly registering the Hyuga Clan symbol on the back of his clothes. Which symbol should have been there? The eye of the Hyuga, or the fan of the Uchiha crest?
He slowly opened the door and stepped outside of his room. The servant let out a little yelp as she saw Sasuke's eyes and scrambled into a run towards Hiashi's room. Sasuke didn't even look at her.
His belly was empty but he didn't care. What could he care about anymore? As he walked down the once familiar hallway, he faced Hinata staring back at him. Her once warm cheerful smile was now gone. Her eyes were buried in her own thoughts. But she did look up at his face.
She briefly widened her eyes as she stared into his but then they too returned to their hollow state. She looked away from him as she walked past him without a word and Sasuke continued to walk aimlessly through the Hyuga Compound.
His Sharingan disappeared when he was beginning to feel a little nauseous. He blinked when he realized he had wondered out onto the streets of the Leaf Village. He didn't turn around, but just continued to walk passed people until he heard the crashing of trash cans a few yards away. People drew back to reveal two kids about a year older than him, and two Hyuga Branch members. One of the Hyuga members had punched a boy with a bowel hair cut into the trash cans.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he recognized that boy and the girl next to him with buns in her hair. He had fought the boy before in Taijutsu to prove that the Uchiha were stronger than a boy with no jutsu at all. What were their names?...R-Rock Lee and Tenten, right?
"Lee!" The girl cried, confirming his guess. She crouched down at his shoulder to help him and see if he was alright. Lee glared up at the Hyuga members.
"I don't care what you say! Guy-sensei is not a traitor! Guy-sensei is a real man that would never run away from a fight!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
"If you call him 'sensei', then you're just as much of a traitor as he is!" The Hyuga shouted back, coming for Lee and cracking his knuckles.
"P-please stop! Lee!" Tenten cried, not wanting any of them to get hurt, but at the same time standing in front of him protectively. The Hyuga raised his fist anyway.
Stop…
He closed in on her.
It's not right! Stop! You're supposed to be Leaf ninja! Comrades! A part of Sasuke screamed inside.
The punch collided with Tenten's cheek. Tenten had fallen on the ground beside her friend. The other Hyuga chuckled.
"STOP IT!" Sasuke yelled out finally. Everyone there turned to an enraged Sasuke and took a step back. No one had ever seen such anger on the Hyuga's face before.
"L-Lord Sasuke? We were just teaching these rebels not to follow their sensei's example. That's all." The Hyuga's tone had changed instantly to respect.
"I don't care! Leave them be!" Sasuke shouted. Lee helped Tenten back up onto her feet and they both stared at Sasuke. They bowed their heads and ran away. The Hyuga turned to them for a second before looking at Sasuke again. They bowed low to the ground.
"Please forgive our actions, sir!" They weren't serious though. They wanted to torture Tenten and Lee some more.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Leave them alone. They aren't to blame for something their sensei has done."
"B-but Lord Sasuke! They shouldn't even be calling him sen-" The Hyuga looked up and froze at the death glare Sasuke was giving them. They felt a shiver of fear they never had before.
"V-very well." They turned and vanished. Sasuke was fully aware of the stares at him, but in his mixture of feelings, his Sharingan appeared in his eyes once more. He turned and walked back to the Hyuga Compound. He felt sick about what he had seen.
…
Sasuke finally stopped walking and sat down on wooden flooring of the side of the Main house. He stared out into the engulfing forest yards away. His eyes were hollowed out again instead of rage.
Is Naruto out there? The thought pierced his heart before he knew it. He didn't even hear his name being called right away.
"…Sasuke?…Sasuke...Sasuke!" A warm hand rested on the raven's shoulder and he turned to see Kakashi attached to that hand.
"Kaka…shi-sensei." He mumbled out. The man looked stunned to see the boy like this. Where had the lively boy he was training but a day before gone to? In his place was a hollow shell!
"Is something wrong, Sasuke?"
"…"
Kakashi sat down at the boy's side, thinking he needed someone to talk to.
"I heard about last night. I'm sorry that happened to you."
"You know?" Something in Sasuke's eyes flickered to life. Did Kakashi-sensei know about his other life as Sasuke Uchiha?
"Of course I know. I'm your sensei. Losing a friend is hard on anyone with a decent heart."
Sasuke blinked at that.
"Naruto?" Kakashi blinked. Was this NOT about Naruto? What could have happened to overshadow that event on the boy's heart?
"Hn." Sasuke looked back out at the forest. "He's gone…that's all."
"That's rather cold, don'tcha think? He was your best friend. Some say that he was your rival."
Something harsh clicked on in Sasuke's mind. As if that LOSER could ever be my best friend, let alone my rival! He frowned at this thought. It was Sasuke Uchiha's way of thinking. NOT his. But then again, he didn't really know who he was anymore.
"You seem torn up about something else though. What is it?" Kakashi broke his thoughts.
"Kakashi-sensei?...Is it possible to have lived a second life?"
"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.
"I dreamt I was someone else last night. I dreamt I was…Sasuke Uchiha. And…and you were my mentor still. My ninja mentor."
"I'm afraid I've never heard of a Sasuke Uchiha." Kakashi stated calmly. "But he sounds like a talented Uchiha." He didn't mention how surprised he was to hear about him having these dreams.
"H-He is…was…I don't know which." Sasuke sighed, so confused. "All the Uchiha were killed 12 years ago, right?"
"It's been rumored that, yes."
"You don't believe they are all dead?" Sasuke looked a little shocked.
"The Uchiha were a very skilled Clan. Some say that they were the shining shinobi jewel of the Leaf Village a long time ago. It's quite a thing to believe that they are all wiped off the face of the earth."
"What made them so special?"
"They had the Kekkei Genkai called the Sharingan. A powerful visual jutsu capable of doing the impossible some say. Some people still have it, though it's only by blood-line or transplants."
"Who has it?"
"Itachi…Lord Fifth Hokage…and one more has the Sharingan power by blood-line. I'm 100% certain of it." He didn't mention himself as his left Sharingan eye was sealed 12 years ago.
"What makes you say that?"
"I'm looking right at him." Kakashi answered, glancing with one eye at Sasuke. The boy stiffened. What?
"Kakashi! You are forbidden to speak anymore!" Hiashi yelled, running towards them. Kakashi stood up.
"The boy has awakened his Sharingan, Hiashi. What else am I supposed to say to him?"
"How long have you known he would?" Hiash narrowed his eyes dangerously.
"I didn't know he was part of the Uchiha Clan until now, Hiashi, but even I knew that he was no Hyuga. He would never possess the Hyuga's Byakugan without a transplant." Kakashi's voice was firm.
"Wh-what?! What are you both talking about?!" Sasuke stood up, shaking slightly as he looked from Hiashi to Kakashi.
"Are all those dreams REAL? Am I really Sasuke Uchiha?!" He shouted. He wanted Hiashi to say no…that it was a lie. The man he once called Father looked away for a minute. Then nodded.
"You weren't born a true Hyuga, Sasuke, but you are my son. I raised you as my blood even if you weren't."
"A-And you just LIED to me?! Is that why some in the Hyuga Clan still look at me with suspicion?! I'm an Uchiha?!" He continued to shout. All his pent up emotions were rushing out.
"You, Obito, and Itachi are the only Uchiha's left in this world. Itachi saw to that. But he gave you to me to raise as a Hyuga and not an Uchiha. You were happy and so was I. I couldn't have raised you any other way." He explained.
"Itachi…is my real brother, isn't he?" Sasuke asked, looking downward for a moment.
"Yes." Silence followed.
"…I don't…even know who I am anymore." Sasuke finally broke the silence, burying his face in one hand. His voice came in a sob.
"You could just be Sasuke." Kakashi answered, making him look up in shock.
"Kakashi, I want you out of here. You've said enough." Hiashi ordered.
"I want to hear what Sasuke is going to say. Sasuke, you said that I was your sensei in this other life, right? Then you should know that I would trust you to make your own life decisions when a fork came down the road. You have three roads. You can be Sasuke Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, or Sasuke- shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village."
Hiashi's eyes went wide with realization. His left hand began to burn painfully. "Kakashi! You-"
"What would the third mean?" Sasuke asked.
"You can be whoever you wish to be regardless of the Hyuga Clan or these dream-memories. You could help restore the Leaf to a better life as well." Kakashi told his student.
Flashes of the Sasuke Uchiha's Leaf Village flashed through his mind. They were ALL happy…Tenten and Lee were equal to the Hyuga ninja. Whatever happened in Sasuke Uchiha's life, everyone was happy to support him. Even if he had shoved them out painfully.
Hiashi leapt at Kakashi, intent to kill him. "Kakashi!" He shouted.
Sasuke stepped protectively in front of his sensei with his hidden kunai raised. He had leapt in on pure instinct. His Sharingan scanned the Hyuga Clan Head's movements as Hiashi stopped at once.
"Sasuke…don't betray your family!" Hiashi's heart stung from a different pain than the Seal.
"My family? The Hyuga or the Uchiha?" Sasuke's voice was cold. He looked Hiashi in the eye.
"No, I've made up my mind…" Sasuke never took his eyes off of Hiashi as he raised both his hand and kunai and made a slightly deep cut on the side of his palm. Blood rushed out with the pain onto the ground.
Both Kakashi and Hiashi were stunned by this act. Sasuke's eyes blazed with determination.
"I make a blood-oath," He clenched his fist and a little blood traveled down his wrist but fell onto the ground. "From now on, I discard the name Uchiha and Hyuga. From now on, my name is Sasuke, shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. I'll save the Hyuga and the Leaf from itself until my last breath. I'll never stop training until the day I go into battle against Itachi Uchiha and Obito Uchiha." He felt that he owed his other-Sasuke some closure with Itachi. But he himself felt that Itachi was no brother.
"Well said, Sasuke." Kakashi nodded.
"You…You'd go against me and Hinata even?!" Hiashi gasped at the determined look in his eyes.
"…Yes." Sasuke had to harden his own heart to say that.
"Then you are also exiled from the Hyuga Clan. You dishonor us…Sasuke." Hiashi also stiffened his own heart to move his body to attack his 'son' and 'best friend'.
Kakashi grabbed Sasuke though and they both disappeared. Hiashi's fists splintered the side of a log.
"What?!" Hiashi looked shocked. How could Kakashi have enough chakra to do a Substitution Jutsu? Kushina had to store up years of chakra just to use a clone and transformation jutsu in one night!
Kakashi reappeared on the forest ground with Sasuke, panting slightly. Sasuke turned to his sensei in shock. His Sharingan phased away.
"Kakashi-sensei? How are you able to do that?"
"It seems…when you, Hinata, and Naruto short-circuited the chakra sphere, a wave of chakra blasted out. Anyone in that building received a portion of chakra. I felt my chakra return to me a little more this morning. It's nothing compared to the real thing, though. I'm sure of that. Come on, Sasuke. We have to meet up with everyone."
"Y...you planned this?!" The boy realized. Had he made the wrong choice?
"Yes, but choosing to come with me was entirely up to you." Kakashi began to take off in a run. Sasuke followed behind him.
"Will you tell me everything you know? About the shinobi world? About you? About the Leaf?" Sasuke asked, glancing at him with his black eyes.
"I'm still your sensei, aren't I?" Kakashi answered with his own question.
Sasuke gave a tiny smile the first time that day as he replied, "Yeah." They continued to run for as long as possible until the sun had begun to set.
Chapter End~
((I'm still wondering if I should make a Naruto dream-memory chapter. Tell me if I should or not.))
Sasuke has run away from the Hyuga Clan with only Kakashi to guide him now.
What will Hinata think of this, and on top of her own memories returning?
Kakashi claims to have a portion of his chakra back. That would mean Sakura, Anko, and Guy have some too, right? (*will be answered in the chapter following the next one.)
Next Chapter: Hinata's Nightmare