Her Face
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Notation: I don't know what the Hyuga Estate actually looks like. So I made up a description. It may or may not be cannon. Warning some parts of this chapter are serious and some are pure fluff/silliness.
Chapter 8
A few days later and suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle were all starting to fit together. Fugaku hadn't completed the puzzle that was "Daisuke," but now he at least he had a fairly good idea what was really going on. Daisuke was here to prevent something bad from happening.
He wouldn't come out and say what exactly, but it was implied. He and Mikoto were dead by the time their son was 17. How long they had been dead was still something of a mystery though.
"Just how strong are you really?" Fugaku asks once they were patrolling the streets of the Leaf together.
"Strong enough that if I wasn't holding back, you wouldn't have won that fight." Sasuke says.
It probably wasn't a good idea to say that. His father was clearly a very proud man. He didn't want to lie though. Fugaku would likely see through a lie anyway. There was no point.
"And Itachi? He's older than you." The Uchiha Patriarch asks.
"You know that I can't tell you that. I probably shouldn't even tell you about my strength, but I'm here. You'll find out one way or another. It'd be better, if I didn't tell you anything about Itachi. You already know a lot more than you should." Sasuke says with a sigh.
He couldn't blame Fugaku for being curious. Sasuke knew that he would also be fishing for information, if the roles were reversed. That didn't make it any easier though.
"Well you can't blame a man for trying." Fugaku says with a chuckle.
The younger Uchiha was both relived and more worried than ever at the same time. He was relieved because someone else besides the Third knew about his secret. It was liberating in a strange way, but he was also worried.
His father was curious. Very curious. There was also the chance that he might tell Mikoto. Sasuke doubted that he would do so on purpose, but it might slip out and that thought terrified him.
"You're right. I can't. Damn it. Looks like a bar fight." Sasuke says with a sigh as he hears the sound of a scuffle.
"Unfortunately, that's probably the most common problem in the Leaf. Many powerful ninjas have been brought down by gambling, drinking, and women. Remember that last part. It's especially important." Fugaku informs him as they head towards the fight.
Sasuke smirks. Those three things had never thrown him for a loop. Sasuke had a lot of regrets in his life, but he'd never indulged in the Big Three.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY GIRL!" A man snarls at another.
Fugaku shakes his head. Honestly, this was beneath him and "Daisuke." He still didn't know what Daisuke's real name was. He was determined to find out though.
He knew that he had at least two children though. He wasn't entirely certain if it was just Itachi and "Daisuke" or not but he knew that Itachi was older than Daisuke. That was something. Now he just had to finish putting together the pieces of the puzzle for a more complete picture of what had gone wrong in the future.
"Alright. Alright! Break it up." Fugaku says.
"Uchiha, stay out of this! This is between me and this pervert!" The other man snaps at him.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Oh this wouldn't end well. His father was not the most patient individual and it didn't take long for Fugaku to prove it.
SLAM. Fugaku hurls the man against the wall. Sasuke knew that this was likely his version of gentle. He didn't hear any broken bones, but he did cough up a bit of blood.
"I'm the Chief of the Leaf's Military Police Force. It is my job to keep the peace. If the pervert's attentions are unwanted and he starts fights, I will book him. Otherwise, you can take this someplace more private. I'm not going to have someone's business destroyed because you two couldn't settle your differences in a peaceful manner." Fugaku states.
Sasuke was pretty sure that his eyebrow couldn't go much higher. His father wasn't saying that they couldn't fight. He was only saying that they couldn't fight in public. Interesting.
"This man is crazy. I wasn't even touching his girl!" A second man says.
"I don't care who started it! I'll finish it! Daisuke, will you kindly escort these two "gentleman" out?" Fugaku inquires.
Sasuke nods. He quickly grabs them both by their arms and drags them out. He was somewhat ginger with the injured one, but the young ninja was certain they got the point anyway. He'd rather not have to actually discipline them.
"I suggest you two kiss and make up. If you can't do that, then find somewhere else to bicker. No one cares about your petty relationship issues." Sasuke hisses at them and activates his Sharingan.
They weren't a threat. He estimated that they were probably Chunin. They certainly didn't act like Jonin.
He could swat them like bugs, if he wanted to. It wouldn't be a fair fight. There was no honor in that.
"Holy shit! It's the Demon Eyes!" The other man screams in terror.
Sasuke shakes his head. He couldn't believe these men were actually ninjas. Had things between his family and the rest of the village already gotten that bad? The mere sight of the Sharingan was enough to make them scream?
"Yes, it's the Demon Eyes. If you don't want us to finish your fight, you'll go home now." Sasuke says and with that, the two men take off running.
"I'll be the first to admit that our role within the village is not always a glamorous one. It's important though." Fugaku says with a heavy sigh as he walks over to Sasuke.
The younger Uchiha simply nods his head in agreement. That much was true. Unfortunately, it might also prove to be their downfall one day.
"I was thinking that I would like to be a Sensei. I know that I'm young, but I'd like it." He says.
"Well there is a training program for it. They're rather strict about who they will let take on a squad of Genin for obvious reasons. If that's something that you wish though, I can speak to the Hokage on your behalf." His father says.
It was the least he could do. Fugaku couldn't believe that he had actually been considering killing his own son. In his defense, he had no way of knowing that at the time. Still the Uchiha Patriarch couldn't help but feel a tremendous sense of guilt at the knowledge that he had almost killed Daisuke.
"That would be great." Sasuke says with a smile.
Now that Fugaku knew the truth, he was warming up to him more. Sasuke knew that it was going to take awhile for the other man to process everything. That was okay. They were finally beginning a new chapter in their relationship.
Honestly, the first chapter had barely gotten started at all. Sasuke had been so young when his parents died. He barely knew his father. He could remember Mikoto better though.
"Good. Come on. Let's get home." Fugaku says and with that, the two men begin their trek back to the Uchiha District.
Meanwhile back in the present, Naruto was freaking out. He didn't just see that, did he? There was no way that could possibly be real.
Yeah he had seen his parents before, but those were different circumstances. They weren't actually alive, alive. This was different. He had seen his mother.
"Sakura, did you see that?" The blonde asks his friend warily.
"Did I see what? Naruto, are you alright? You look like you saw a ghost or something." The medic inquires anxiously.
The Leaf Ninja wasn't entirely certain that he hadn't seen a ghost. Naruto had seen his mother. It was just a flash. She was gone as quickly as she came, but he was sure of it.
"You know how Hinata thinks she saw the Uchiha District?" He asks.
"Yeah. I know. I think she really saw it. Normally, I would have said that she was imagining things. With Sasuke in the past though, anything is possible. Wait. What did you see?" The pink haired woman inquires anxiously.
"It's not what I saw. It's who I saw." Naruto says as he glps.
Damn it. Sasuke really was changing the future. That or at least he was trying to. It was a damn good thing that they had written down all their memories. It didn't look like they were going to have much time left.
"Who did you see?" His teammate asks him nervously.
"I saw my mother. I mean it! It didn't last long. She was there and then she was gone. It was like the Uchiha District. I think he's really doing it. That or at least starting to change things." The blonde replies.
Sakura bites her lower lip. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She knew why Sasuke had gone back in time, but there was no way of knowing if he would be successful.
What if he wasn't successful? What if the Uchiha Massacre happened anyway? What if other family was massacred instead? What if they never won the war because of this? Would there still be a war?
"I don't like this. There are way too many questions. We have no idea what is going to happen." She says forlornly.
Naruto nods in agreement. He couldn't believe that the bastard had been this reckless. On second thought, he could. Sasuke had always been reckless when it came to Itachi and his family. Perhaps this wasn't entirely unexpected.
"We should probably talk to Hinata about this. She knows the truth too! We brought her into this and she needs to know what's going on. Almost everyone else would just panic. Without another Rinnegan, we can't send anyone after him." Naruto says with a heavy sigh.
This was worse than when Sasuke had gone to the Sound. At least then, Naruto had been able to follow. He couldn't follow his friend back into the past though. The only thing that any of them could do was wait.
It was the waiting that drove him the craziest. If only he knew what was about to happen, at least they could prepare for it. At this point though, they had nothing.
"Yeah. You're right. Let's go." Sakura says as the two of them quickly made their way to the Hyuga Estate.
Naruto didn't think that he would ever really get over how grand the Hyuga Estate was. It was like something straight out of a fairytale. It was massive with white marble columns and vast grounds.
The beautiful and stunning scene didn't stop there though. Beautiful Japanese gardens and even the occasional fish pond could be seen here and there. Not to mention all the training grounds and statues. All in all, it was nothing short of speculator.
"It's beautiful." Sakura says in a whisper.
"Yeah. It is." Naruto agrees.
Well at least he wasn't the only one who was more than a little awestruck by the grandness of the Hyuga Estate. It looked like Sakura was a swell. That was something at least.
It didn't take them long to get to the front entrance. Fortunately, it was being guarded by one of the hundreds of Hyugas who lived on the grounds. There wasn't just one house. There a massive mansion in the center and there were at least a dozen or more smaller houses. Clearly though, Hinata had to live inside the mansion.
"Ah Naruto. Sakura. It is always an honor to see you both. How may I help you?" The Hyuga man asks as he takes a bow.
Sadly, Naruto couldn't recall his name for the life of him. Most of the Hyugas tended to look alike to him. He knew that was horrible to say, but it was the truth.
"We need to see Hinata. It's really important." The blonde says.
"Of course. Right this way. Please follow me." The other man says as he leads them inside the building.
A few minutes later, they were led into Hinata's room. Hinata smiles and greets them. The Hyuga man quickly dismisses himself and shuts the door behind them.
"Can we talk privately here? Can't the Byakugan see through walls? Could they overhear us? How thick are the walls?" Sakura asks.
"It's safe. My family places a high value on privacy." Hinata assures her and the other two Leaf Ninjas sigh in relief.
That's when Naruto noticed something. Hinata was wearing a necklace. A rather beautiful necklace that he had never seen her wear before.
It had a silver chain. The center piece was in the shape of a fan. The fan's top was red and made out of a ruby. The bottom was made out of a large diamond. In the center was what Naruto assumed was obsidian stone to "cut" it in half.
"Hinata, where did you get that necklace?" Naruto asks.
That was definitely the Uchiha Symbol. Why was Hinata wearing a necklace that was clearly from Sasuke's family? It didn't make any sense.
"I wanted to tell you guys, but I didn't know how. This morning, something strange happened. It was even stranger than the District." She mumbles.
"What happened?" Sakura asks, noticing Naruto's alarm at the necklace.
Apparently, he had good reason to be worried. That was definitely not a Hyuga Necklace. What the Hell was going on?
"I woke up and I went to get some breakfast. I sensed someone behind me. That's when I felt them put this one me. Whoever it was, kissed my cheek and then they were gone." She explains.
Uh oh. That didn't sound good. Now these visions or whatever they were seeing, could actually physically interact with them?! That wasn't a good sign. Naruto winces as he realizes the potential consequences of this development.
They might not be able to keep Sasuke's time traveling adventure a secret at this rate. He wasn't sure why someone would give Hinata an Uchiha Necklace, but the next vision might not be as friendly. This wasn't good.
Back in the past, Sasuke and Fugaku were now back in the Uchiha District. Fugaku had wandered off with Mikoto. Sasuke took that as a good sign. He'd talk to his father later. After all, Itachi's conception took priority.
"There he is." Sasuke whispers to himself as he sees Obito running around with some other Uchihas.
It was hard to believe that kid was going to almost bring about the end of the world. He looked no different from the other kids really. He was just chasing after a ball with some friends.
Sasuke sighs as he realizes that apparently, almost everyone started out as innocent. He had been innocent once. Eventually, he'd be innocent again when he was "reborn."
"There's no use in thinking about it. I'm only going to give myself a headache." He says and with that, he approaches the kids.
"Hello." Obito says innocently.
"Hey. You're Obito, right?" Sasuke asks casually.
Well at least on the outside, he was casual. On the inside, Sasuke wasn't feeling very casual. He couldn't screw this up. This kid was the key to saving his entire family.
"Yeah! You're Daisuke! Everyone's been talking about you since you came back! What was it like? Being away from home for so long?" Obito asks.
"Lonely. I got a lot stronger though. Speaking of that, why don't you come with me? I'll help you practice your Fireball Jutsu." Sasuke suggests.
"Really? Do you really think that I can do it?" He asks excitedly.
Sasuke almost felt guilty. He was using this kid. Then again, Obito would grow up and slaughter about half of their Clan. The kid might be cute now, but eventually he would plunge the entire world into war. Well he would, if Sasuke couldn't find a way to stop him.
"I don't think that you can do it. I know you can. It just takes some practice. Well usually it takes a lot of practice." Sasuke assures him as he leads the kid off.
Mikoto smiles as she walks around the District with Fugaku. He was doing a security sweep. She often went with him on these now.
During the day, he tended to patrol the Leaf or polish off the paperwork. At night, he spent most of his time with her. Before he was truly free though, he did a sweep.
"That's sweet. I didn't realize that Daisuke had a soft spot for kids." She muses as she walks around with him.
"Neither did I. I have to admit that lately, he has surprised me." The Uchiha Patriarch says.
It really all did make sense now. The reason why Daisuke resembled Mikoto to such an eerie degree was because she was his mother. Not his cousin. Truthfully, it was something of a relief to know the real truth. Well at least part of it. The worst thing in the world was not knowing what was going to happen. Now he did. Well sorta.
"I'm glad that you two patched things up. He does seem like a nice boy." She says as she kisses his cheek.
"Yes, I was just a bit suspicious. Daisuke has been gone for so many years. For him to turn up like that was…unexpected. He is a good officer though. He has expressed an interest in getting his own Genin Team." Fugaku continues and he smiles at the chaste kiss.
She nods sympathetically. That was certainly true. Mikoto had been more than just a little baffled herself by his sudden reappearance.
"I know. Damn. I probably should get home and feed Tsuki." She says.
"Oh believe me. That cat can certainly fend for itself, if worse comes to worst. I'll come with you though." He says as he heads towards her apartment.
"I think you just want an excuse to get me alone. So you can seduce me properly." She teases him.
With that being said, Mikoto slides the key into her door and opens it. To say the least Tsuki did not look pleased. That little feline was sitting on the couch and giving her the dirtiest look that she had ever seen.
"I know that you are in heat, but that doesn't mean that you should forget to feed me!" She meows.
Mikoto feels her face burn bright red in embarrassment. She and Fugaku had just started courting not that long ago. They certainly were at the part where she could be considered "in heat" yet.
"BAD, TSUKI! BAD!" She scolds the kitty.
"Don't you bad Tsuki me! You're the one that forgot to feed me. Just because you're out playing with the tomcat now, doesn't mean you should forget my tuna!" She says cheerfully as her beautiful tail swishes behind her in anticipation of her most glorious impending meal.
"If you keep this up, we're going to find out if cats really do have nine lives. Come on. I'll get you your tuna." She grumbles and takes Tsuki to the kitchen.
Fugaku chuckles. Well he hoped that Tsuki was right about that heat comment. Both for his personal enjoyment and for their sons' sakes.
A few minutes later, Mikoto comes out and shakes her head. She couldn't believe her ninja cat had pulled something like that. Honestly, you would think that she was starving or something.
"Sorry about that." She says as she wraps her arms around Fugaku's neck and kisses him.
"Well if her throwing a hissy fit ends up with me getting to feel your lips against mine, I don't particularly mind." Fugaku says with a smile, after returning the kiss.
"Mmm who knew you could be such a romantic. I always figured that you were more of a cuffer." Mikoto muses.
Fugaku tilts his head to the side. He had no idea what she meant by that. What was a cuffer?
"What's a cuffer and why did you think that I was one?" The older ninja asks.
"Well you know, handcuffs. A cuffer is someone who likes to put handcuffs on people. I always figured that you were more direct than romantic." She tells him.
"My God woman, you are going to be the death of me! I'm trying to be a gentleman and then you go and start talking about deviant ways to use handcuffs!" He says.
Mikoto smiles and pushes him on the couch. Once that was accomplished, she sits in his lap. The look on his face was priceless.
"Well you don't always have to be a gentleman. We have known each other since I was twelve." She tells him.
"IN HEAT! I TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE IN HEAT!" Tsuki says and Mikoto just tosses a pillow at the feline.
Tsuki hmpfs and heads back to the kitchen for her tuna. Humans could be so strange sometimes. She loved her Mistress, but she would never fully understand humans.
Elsewhere Sasuke was teaching Obito the Fireball Jutsu. It was the trademark of their Clan. He figured he wasn't doing any harm by teaching him this one. He would have learned it anyway.
"You need to focus more. You have the will, but your chakra is a bit erratic." Sasuke instructs.
It was the strangest feeling. One day, he had figured that he would be teaching his sons (or his daughters) this jutsu. He hadn't expected to be teaching it to a man who had killed half their family.
Well a man was as stretch. Right now, Obito was a harmless seven year old. Sasuke just had to make sure that it stayed that way. He wasn't going to allow the Massacre to happen again.
"FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" Obito calls out and a puff of smoke blew out of his mouth.
"Well you got the technique down mostly. It comes from your belly. You know the expression fire in your belly? In this case, that's exactly what you are aiming for." The elder Uchiha informs him.
Sasuke wasn't sure if elder was accurate. His body was certainly older, but Obito had been born a long time before him. He dismisses that thought though. It would only give him another headache.
"From my belly? Alright! FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" He calls out again and this time a flame bursts forth out of his mouth.
It was a moderate flame, but it would do. Obito's eyes certainly lit up and Sasuke smiled. He couldn't believe that he was smiling at Obito's happiness, but he was.
"Good job. You're now considered an adult by Uchiha Clan Standards." Sasuke tells him.
"Yes! Thanks! I can't wait to show Rin and Kakashi! Kakashi is going to be sooo jealous!" Obito says happily.
Sasuke nods encouragingly and with that, Obito took off. That's when Sasuke realized something. If Obito didn't "die," Kakashi wasn't going to get his Sharingan. With that lovely thought, suddenly his headache returned with a vengeance.
Why did life have to be so complicated? All he was trying to do was save his family and all these threads kept getting tangled together. Oh well. Kakashi would just have to suck it up. He could live without his Sharingan. Sasuke wasn't going to live without his family again.