Her Face
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 2
A few days had passed since Sasuke arrived back in the past, though the young Uchiha wasn't sure if that meant anything. He had no way to tell if time moved the same way in this era as it did in his. Was two days here, two days back in the present? The raven haired ninja didn't know and to an alarming degree, he didn't care.
"When you're well again, I've already arranged an apartment for you in the District. I doubt that you want to live with your parents anymore. You've been away for years and you're a grown man now. I expect you'll be wanting your privacy." Mikoto says with a kind smile and a slight mischievous twinkle in her eye.
His mother was alive. She was alive and talking to him. Who cared if he had been gone from the present for a couple days? He had wanted to be reunited with his family for years. Sasuke just never expected to see them again while he was still alive.
"Thank you. That was kind of you and I appreciate the gesture." Sasuke tells her with a smile of his own.
He grimaces immediately afterwards. The Leaf's hospital was still top notch, even in this era. That didn't change the fact that he had nearly died though. It had taken so much chakra and blood to activate this Jutsu, but it was worth it.
"You're welcome. If you want, I can speak with the medics. They'll probably give you more pain medication, if you ask." She informs him.
"No. That's alright. I think the worst of it is probably over anyway." Sasuke tells her.
In reality, he just didn't want to let her out of his sight. His mother was almost exactly as he remembered her. Only her age seemed to have changed at all.
That was apparently the case for his father as well. Fugaku was a smart man. He knew that something was going on, but not what. If his father had his way, Sasuke was almost positive that he wouldn't be going back to the Uchiha District.
"Alright. I'm sure that everyone will be so glad to see you, especially the women of our Clan." She says with a giggle.
It was out of his hands though. He was an Uchiha. The genetic testing would confirm that. As Fugaku said, that afforded him certain rights. Rights that even the Clan Head wouldn't dare take away without a good reason. Being suspicious without any proof, wouldn't cut it.
"I'll be glad to see them as well." Sasuke replies.
Wait. Had his mother just hit on him or was she just being nice? Sasuke couldn't tell. That was mildly disturbing. Then again, if his father was twenty-five, that meant Mikoto was twenty. He was 17.
Mikoto didn't know that he was her son. He was only three years younger and she probably thought he was a Chunin. In her eyes, he was an adult. An adult that was related to her, but people from the same Clan married all the time. You just needed at least a degree or two of separation for it to be considered "safe enough" to have children.
"It's still so good to see you cousin. I can't believe how much we look alike now. We could pass for brother and sister." She muses.
Oh thank God. Mikoto was just being friendly. She was trying to reestablish a familial bond, not form a romantic one. If that hadn't been the case, things would have gotten extremely awkward.
"Well it has been several years." Sasuke says diplomatically.
His father was twenty-five. That meant that Itachi hadn't even been born yet. Sasuke had gone back much further in time than he had originally intended. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that yet.
"Mhm and don't worry about Fugaku. He can appear rather stern at times. Most people think of him as a grizzly bear. Underneath it all though, he's really an overgrown teddy bear." She assures him.
Were his parents even together in this year? Sasuke wasn't sure. It was two years before the birth of Itachi. He had to subtract nine months from that. This was all so confusing.
It was possible that they weren't together yet. Damn. He really needed to remember what his parents anniversary was. Sasuke just couldn't though. He had only been seven at the time of their deaths. Details like anniversary dates, weren't something that children tended to remember.
"A lion might be more accurate. He's just protecting his pride in his own way." Sasuke says.
As a small child, he would have done anything to get his father's attention. He didn't fully understand what it meant to be a Clan Leader. Fugaku Uchiha was not only the Uchiha Clan's leader, he had been in charge of the military police force. Quite simply, he had been a busy man.
In addition to all that, Fugaku had apparently been planning a coup. No wonder he hadn't had much time to play with Sasuke or to train with him. His father had likely been exhausted and worried about the future of their Clan. Hindsight really was twenty-twenty.
"Yes, I guess lion might be more accurate. He lacks Madara's mane though." She laughs.
That was interesting. Mikoto apparently knew who Madara was. Sasuke hadn't known before the war. Then again, he had been seven when his family died. That wasn't a lot of time to go through the family history.
Who could possibly explain Madara Uchiha to a child of that age? Sasuke scarcely understood him at 17. He was just glad that he didn't have to deal with his formidable ancestor anymore. The war was over and it might never begin in this era, if he had anything to say about it.
"The idea of Fugaku with Madara's hair really disturbs me." He confesses.
"Me too. Thank goodness that is no longer the style. I don't think that I'm a patient enough woman to handle a man who spends more time on his hair than I do." She says with a wink.
"So you handle him then? Is he your husband?" Sasuke asks.
He was going to have to be blunt. He didn't see a wedding ring on her finger, but that didn't mean much. Ninjas sometimes would leave their rings at home while they were on duty for good reason. (It wasn't entirely uncommon to lose things like jewelry while you were at in the field. )
Mikoto feels her face burn red with embarrassment. It was a natural question. It was just that the other man had phrased it in a way that brought to mind some rather forbidden images.
"I handle him alright. I'm not his wife. At the moment, Fugaku is a man who is married to his work. It's a good thing for our Clan as whole, but I do worry for him." She admits.
"That's why you told him to take a vacation." Sasuke says.
"You heard that? You were pretending to be asleep, weren't you?" The dark haired beauty asks.
Sasuke was surprised that her voice wasn't at all accusing. It didn't sound like she was angry. Most people would have been. Then again, she was a ninja. A ninja must see through deception.
"A little. I didn't know where I was at first and wanted to make sure that it was safe to "wake up." I didn't mean anything malicious by it." He says quickly.
"I believe you. It's alright. I would have done the same thing." Mikoto assures him and Sasuke breathes a sigh of relief.
"Oh good. So how long do you think I'll be here?" The raven haired man dares himself to ask.
Mikoto tilts her head to the side as she considers that question. Honestly, she didn't know. The boy seemed to be healing remarkably quickly. It was something of a miracle really.
"At the rate you're going, maybe two or three days. Most people would have been laid up for at least two or three weeks. That easily could have been months. I really don't know how you do it. Your healing rates are exceptional. Perhaps that's why you were given such a top secret mission." The Uchiha woman observes.
Sasuke found himself smiling, despite the strange situation. His mother was clever. She was subtly probing and throwing in some buttering up for good measure. If Fugaku believed in the vinegar approach, Mikoto was the honey.
"Nice try. I still can't tell you. I'm sorry. Hokage's orders." He replies.
"Mmm well you can't blame a girl for trying. I should get going though. I have guard duty today." She says with a stretch as she heads towards the door.
"Tomorrow?" He asks with a whisper.
Mikoto nods. There was something just incredibly vulnerable about the man. She tries to pawn it off to the fact that he was three years her junior and had been away from home for years. He probably just missed his family.
That's what she kept trying to tell herself. She knew that was certainly a part of it, but it was far from the whole story. God only knows what that man had seen on his mission.
"Of course. You should get some rest." She says with a smile as she heads off.
Sasuke smiles. She'd be back tomorrow. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do about his more suspicious father, but at least his mother would be back.
Meanwhile in the Uchiha District, Fugaku sighs. He was having a meeting with the Elders and other high ranking members of their Clan. The meeting concerned the stranger.
"I've looked over the records. There was a man by the name of Daisuke who left on a mission a couple years ago. He never said what the nature of the mission was. He's the same age as this Daisuke. If the genetic testing shows that he's an Uchiha, we really don't have a reason not to believe him." An elderly woman says.
The Uchiha Patriarch nods and frowns. That was all true, but there was something was off about that boy. Why did he look so much like Mikoto?
Yes, they were from the same Clan. Could that really explain such a striking resemblance though? Cousins? He found that difficult to believe, but it was the only logical explanation at the moment.
"What's your opinion on the matter?" Kenji asks his son.
"I think that something strange is going on, but thus far his story checks out. I will be watching the boy closely though." Fugaku replies.
Kenji nods. If his son was suspicious of the newcomer, he likely had good reason to be. Fugaku had good instincts. That was why he didn't mind leaving the man in charge of their Clan, despite the fact that he was still young for a Clan Head.
"That's probably a wise idea. It will likely be awhile before he is well enough to move back into the District though. From my understanding, he was in very bad shape when Mikoto found him." The elder Uchiha man observes.
Fugaku shakes his head. It was unnerving really. Daisuke was recovering much sooner than should have been reasonably expected. It didn't make any sense to him.
It was just one more thing that was odd about the boy. That and it was difficult to stay suspicious of him, when he kept looking at him and seeing Mikoto's eyes. Disturbing.
"Does anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?" Fugaku inquires.
"I suppose all we can do is wait. If he's an Uchiha, we have to accept him into the District. You could always speak to Mikoto about it. She's been going to the hospital every day since she found him." Kitzu says.
Kitzu was Kenji's brother. The two men were identical twins and that could be quite chaotic at times. You wouldn't be able to tell who was who until they opened their mouth.
Kenji was the more playful of the two brothers. One could never be entirely certain what was going to come out of his mouth next. Kitzu was more like Fugaku. He was a traditional and proud ninja. Despite their differences in demeanor, the Uchiha Twins were still close even in their old age. Inseparable really.
"Yes, I suppose I'll do that." Fugaku says with a sigh.
Mikoto was very much like a cat in many ways. She was beautiful graceful, strong, and infuriatingly stubborn. If the woman didn't want to do something, she wasn't going to do it. Most of the time that wasn't an issue because she was a sweet kitten, nine times out of ten. It was that other time that you had to worry about.
How the elusive cat had ended up being friend with the fiery fox known as Kushina was beyond him. Then again, most people would never have expected for him to be friends with Minato. The man was his opposite in every way. Maybe in a strange way, the friendships did make sense.
"In that case, I think I'll be off to her home. She'll likely be back from guard duty in a few hours." He states as he heads off.
A few hours later, Mikoto returns from guard duty and walks back to her home. She blinks when she saw someone was waiting for her. Fugaku.
Oh boy. This wasn't going to be pretty. He probably wanted to know about Daisuke. That had to be it. He'd certainly never visited her for a social call.
"I know what you want and I'm afraid that I don't have much that I can tell you that you'll find useful." The dark beauty warns him.
"I'd still like to discuss the matter anyway. You may not find anything he told you useful, but one never knows." He says.
"Alright. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" Mikoto says simply as she takes out her key and opens the door for them.
Fugaku shakes his head. While the woman was rather well known for her culinary skills, he wasn't here for a meal. He was here to find out if Daisuke was a threat to their Clan.
"No. Thank you. What did he tell you?" He asks.
Mikoto just shakes her head in amusement. Fugaku had a laser like focus on whatever task he had taken up at the moment. Tunnel vision, she decides.
"Nothing that you don't already know. Mostly, he was just content to listen to me. I found him an apartment to stay in for when he gets better." She says.
"Mikoto, don't tell me that you're developing feelings for him." Fugaku says.
She raises an eyebrow. That had certainly come out of left field. Daisuke was an Uchiha. She was sure of it. It was just a formality to wait for the genetic results and for him to be well enough to leave the hospital. Of course, she was going to get him a place to stay. It didn't mean she was in love with him.
"Of course, not. He's my cousin. That and he's a bit young for my tastes. Was that jealousy that I detected in your voice?" She inquires as she pours herself some tea.
Mikoto wasn't an idiot. She knew that she was now treading on thin ice here. She had essentially poked a stick at a bear. She really didn't know whether he'd be amused by her forwardness or angry.
"That's good to know. We still don't know if this man is who he claims to be and that was not jealousy. I'm only concerned for your safety." He protests.
"Of course. You were only being a good Clan Head and trying to protect me." Mikoto says with teasing smile as she sips on her tea.
"Exactly. I don't want anything to happen to you…or anyone else in our Clan. Do you really believe that we can trust him?" Fugaku asks.
Mikoto pauses as she considers her answer. Gone was her playful and slightly wary mood. Now it was replaced by something else entirely. Seriousness.
"He's given me no reason not to trust him. I can't explain it, but I feel as though I know him somehow." She whispers.
Probably because you are essentially looking into a mirror, Fugaku thinks to himself. Naturally, he couldn't say that. He didn't want to alarm the woman.
"Noted. Tell me everything that the two of you discussed though. We have to be thorough. There is no reason to leave such things to chance." He tells her.
"I recorded our conversations." Mikoto informs him as she slides the recorder into his hand.
Fugaku smiles. She really was a smart woman. If only, she would take his position more seriously.
"Thank you." He says.
"Mhm. Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" She asks.
"No, thank you. I know enough about your cooking to realize that accepting such an offer is stupid. I have no desire to grow fat off of your sweets." He says firmly.
Mikoto shakes her head in amusement. Somewhere in there, there was a compliment. She was sure of it.
"All things in moderation. There's no harm in indulging yourself now and then. Do I look fat to you?" She asks.
"That's not a fair question. No good ever comes of a man answering that. No, of course not. I'm not certain why you would even feel the need to ask such thing, in all honesty." Fugaku replies.
"Because you said you couldn't have any of my cooking because you'd grow fat. Obviously, I haven't and I eat my cooking all the time. It's simple logic." She tells him.
Fugaku chuckles. She was a sassy kitten. If anyone else would have dared to speak to him so informally, he likely would have introduced them to a fireball. Not Mikoto though. He couldn't find it in him to discipline her and sadly, it looked like she was quickly realizing that.
"Well I suppose one bite won't hurt me, when you put it that way." He says.
"That's better." Mikoto says smugly and Fugaku wonders what the Hell he just got himself into.
Elsewhere Minato makes his way to the hospital. Fugaku had said that this man looked a lot like Mikoto. Curiosity was getting the better of him. He had to sneak a peek!
The blonde sneaks in and glances into the room. What he saw made his jaw drop. Fugaku wasn't kidding. The boy was the spitting image of Mikoto.
"She doesn't have a brother and he's way too old to be her son." He muses to himself.
"It's not nice to spy on people." Sasuke says and Minato rubs the back of his head sheepishly.
"I'm sorry. I was just curious. I'm Minato Namikaze." He introduces himself as he walks into the room.
Sasuke glances at the man who would one day become Fourth Hokage and Naruto's father. If he had lived, would the Uchiha Massacre had been stopped? Maybe he should try to safe Naruto's parents while he was here.
It really was the least that he could do for the loser. Naruto had risked everything to save him time and time again. For once, he could help the blonde. Well he could help two blondes in this case.
"I'm Daisuke Uchiha." Sasuke says simply.
"So I've been told. How are you feeling? From what I hear, you were pretty banged up." He asks kindly.
"I've been better. I expect I'll be out of the hospital shortly though. That will be a relief. The female medics have been offering to give me sponge baths a little too enthusiastically for my tastes." Sasuke admits.
If he could keep the conversation casual and humorous, maybe the Fourth wouldn't realize what was going on. Naruto's father wouldn't have become Hokage, if he was stupid. He and Fugaku were most likely his biggest obstacles to success.
"Most men would be rather happy about that. Do you already have someone special in your life?" Minato asks curiously.
"I don't have a lover. I've been busy with a long-term mission. There simply wasn't any time and I haven't really met anyone that I'm compatible with." He says.
"It's not always about compatibility. Kushina and I couldn't be anymore different than each other, but we still love each other more than I can say. That and look at Mikoto and Fugaku. Oh they're both too stubborn to say it out loud, but I can tell. Anyone could tell, if they saw the way they look each other." Minato says cheerfully.
Sasuke suddenly realizes that Minato was playing the same game he was. The other man was trying to be friendly and get him to lower his guard. He was hoping that Sasuke would slip up and reveal something important.
"So you think that they like each other then?" He asks.
"I'm positive of it. That would certainly be a case of opposites attracting. Welcome back to the Leaf, by the way. You must be so happy to be home." He continues.
"You have no idea." Sasuke replies with a smile.
He meant it too. For the first time in a long time, he was home. Sasuke's family was alive and he was going to live with them. He had a chance to rewrite history for the better. How many people could honestly say that?
"Well I hope you get better soon and perhaps when you do, I can show you around the village again." He tells him.
"I'd like that." Sasuke says with a smile.
He didn't exist yet. Sasuke no longer had the Rinnegan. He wouldn't be able to return to his family until the time lines matched up. Sasuke had a theory that once he was conceived, he would return to his time. A drastically altered one. Whether or not he would remember any of this, he didn't know.
Sasuke didn't really care. He just had to save them. He wasn't going to allow it to happen again. If that mean he had to spend years in this timeline, so be it.
"Wonderful. Well I'll let you get back to resting." Minato says as he heads off.
The raven haired man watches as Naruto's father leaves. They were so alike and yet so different. They were both blue eyed blondes and wanted to Hokage. Both of them were endlessly optimist, but Minato was well certainly less hyper and loud.
"Amazing how some things never change." He muses to himself.
He could do this. Somehow he was going to save his family. Sasuke just wasn't sure how yet.
The obvious first choice was to kill Danzo. That would be difficult though. People would notice. He'd have to find a way to make it look like an accident. He pushes that into the Emergency Plan Column for now.
"Only as a last resort." He whispers to himself.
Surely, there had to be another way. If he could prevent the Fourth from dying, that might do it. Minato was clearly friends with his father. Surely, he wouldn't condone a genocide.
That was a bit iffy though. Maybe he would have. Maybe Minato was like Itachi and would put the needs of the Leaf over his friendship with Fugaku. No, that wasn't a safe bet.
"I'll have to find a way to convince them not to start a coup or to improve relations between my Clan and the rest of the village." He mutters.
Yes, that was it. He had to find a way to make things better. Now, he knew what he had to do. Unfortunately, Sasuke had no idea as to how he was going to accomplish that feat. He would think of something though.
Sasuke had successfully returned to the past. The hard part was over. Now, he just had to figure out where to move his chess pieces and how to win the game. Thankfully, he was a genius. He could do this. Well at least he hoped that he could.