Her Face

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: It probably isn't cannon, but I gave Mikoto a Snake Summoning Contract. There is also a very brief brutal battle description of sorts. Squeamish readers may wish to skip that part and leave it up to their imagination.

Chapter 14

For Sasuke, the seasons all started to blur together. He had been in the past for several months now. In some ways, he had never been happier. In other ways, he had never been more anxious. Would his plans actually work?

"Father, what are you doing with a stuffed dinosaur?" Sasuke asks quizzically.

Mikoto and Fugaku had moved into the Uchiha Clan's Head House. Sasuke still lived in his apartment. If he moved in with them, people would have asked questions. Questions that none of them could have answered honestly.

That didn't stop him from regularly visiting his parents though. Married life seemed to agree with both of them. Maybe it was because he had been so young, but he remembered his parents having a cordial relationship. The young Uchiha didn't remember them being inseparable though.

"Right. I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you. You might want to sit down first though." Fugaku replies a bit warily.

That could just be because he had been too young to notice such things, but Sasuke didn't think so. He suspected that Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha had just had other things on their minds besides romance. They had been plotting a Coup. That was why they hadn't been as affectionate towards each other as they were now.

"Alright. Is it bad news?" Sasuke replies warily as he sits down on the couch in the living room.

"No. It's good news. Very good news. This is for Itachi. Your mother is pregnant. I suppose that unless you have a sister that you didn't mention, we know that we are having a boy. No need for an ultrasound." He says in amusement.

Sasuke blinks. He should have seen that coming. The timing certainly lined up.

Mikoto had been 22 when she had Itachi. Fugaku had been 27. His arrival had been two years before Itachi's birth and he had been here awhile. That plus the natural length of pregnancy meant that his brother was on his way.

"That's great news. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I don't have any sisters. Well at least I don't in my timeline. I'm here now though. So that could possibly change." Fugaku's son informs him.

Sasuke frowns at the unexpected though. How did he know that Mikoto was carrying Itachi? He had altered the timeline in pretty drastic ways.

For all he knew, his big brother could be his big sister in this timeline. That or they could have an older sister. The possibilities were nearly endless, really. It was enough to give him a headache.

"We suspected as much. Well this is for our firstborn, whoever he or she might be." Fugaku tells him.

"Great." Sasuke replies with a smile as he glances at the green stuffed dinosaur.

He remembered Itachi used to have that. It had been Itachi's favorite toy. Naturally, that meant it was Sasuke's favorite on principle. He had always wanted to be exactly like his big brother.

"If it's Itachi, I think he'll like that one." The younger ninja says with a sly smile.

"Good. I have been meaning to speak to you about something for awhile. I just didn't know how to broach the subject. I know that you can't tell me everything. You don't want to risk altering the timeline in an unpleasant way, but I would like to know. What sort of relationship did I have with you in the future?" The Uchiha Patriarch inquires as he sits down next to his son.

Sasuke blinks. Whatever he had been expecting Fugaku to ask, that hadn't been it. Damn it. What was he supposed to say?

He couldn't imagine lying to the other man. Still Sasuke wasn't sure that it would be a wise idea to tell him the truth. He'd be risking changing the future and Sasuke knew that it would likely hurt this Fugaku's feelings.

"I'm not sure that it's a good idea for me to tell you that." He says, suddenly finding his feet rather interesting.

"I suspected as much. I will do better this time." Fugaku states simply.

"What?" Sasuke blinks as he looks up at him.

Fugaku sighs. There was a certain hesitation in Daisuke's interactions with him. That hesitation wasn't there with Mikoto.

It was only logical to assume that his wife had been closer to Daisuke than him. The Uchiha Patriarch highly doubted that he had ever been abusive towards his son, but it was obvious that he had been less than warm. Fugaku wasn't sure why that had been the case, but it didn't matter to a certain extent.

"You have your mother's face. It's rather expressive. That and body language does reveal a great deal. You're wary around me. You aren't that way around your mother." The older ninja says.

Sasuke glances at his father anxiously. He was looking for signs that he had hurt the other man's feelings. It was subtle, but there was no denying that he had.

"It's not that we weren't close exactly. Well we weren't, but that wasn't your fault. We simply ran out of time. You died when I was young." Sasuke whispers.

"You don't have to worry about sparing my feelings. Obviously, we had a falling out or something of that nature. There shouldn't be this much distance between a father and his son. I probably did die when you were young, but I clearly also didn't make the most of whatever time we did have together." Fugaku observes.

Sasuke bites his lower lip. He couldn't really deny that. It hadn't been his father's fault though. He was in the midst of planning a Coup and training Itachi to be the next Clan Head. It was only natural that he would be overlooked.

As a child, that had hurt him greatly. He wanted nothing more than to be as strong as his big brother and his father's approval. Those were the wishes of a child though. He was an adult now.

"You were busy with Clan Matters and Itachi was older. It was only natural that you would focus on him first. He was the heir. I don't hold it against you." Sasuke assures him.

He wasn't that petty. Sasuke understood now why Fugaku had been detached. The man had probably thought that he was motivating Sasuke to get stronger, faster by forcing him to develop an independent streak. Ninjas didn't need pats on the back.

"That's no excuse. You're like your mother. You have a way of rationalizing through people's faults and loving them anyway. It's both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness." He says with a sigh.

Fugaku felt a stab of guilt. He had seen those eyes before. The same expression that Mikoto had once worn when her Sharingan had been referred to as Demon Eyes. Hurt.

At some point, he had neglected Sasuke. Oh he was certain that the boy's physical needs had been met, but his emotional needs hadn't been filled. That was obviously at least partially his fault.

"Were you close to your brother?" Fugaku asks, deciding that a subject change would serve them both well.

"I really don't think that's a good idea to tell you. I told you about our relationship because you're smart. You filled in most of the blanks, but Itachi is a blank slate at the moment. I want to keep him that way." Sasuke replies.

"Understandable." Fugaku says.

Meanwhile Emiko was with her husband at the Hyuga Estate. The two of them were having tea with Danzo. Privately, Emiko was less than pleased about this development. Ever the good hostess though, she keeps her displeasure to herself.

"Thank you for inviting me into your lovely home." Danzo says as he sips his tea.

"You are most welcome. Tell me, what concerns you." Hiashi inquires.

Emiko quickly pours her husband a glass of tea. It gave her an excuse not to answer Danzo quickly, if he addressed her. The man was a viper.

"It's the Uchiha. They've grown too numerous and insular. I fear that Sarutobi will do something foolish. He might try to extend them an olive branch by offering Fugaku the chance to be Hokage, after he steps down." He whispers.

"It would make sense tactically. He's a powerful ninja. Intelligent. He could rule competently. It would also help to bridge the gap between that Clan and the rest of the village. I fail to see why this decision would upset you." Hiashi says.

Emiko frowns. She was sure that she knew why though. Danzo wanted the slot for himself. It was unlikely that he would get it though. He and Sarutobi were too close in age.

If the Third Hokage stepped down, he would likely give the position to someone younger than him. That almost certainly eliminated Danzo The ambitious man clearly wouldn't like that.

"I believe the Uchihas to be untrustworthy. The Second Hokage was right to give them the Military Police Force and their own District. It has prevented them from getting too involved in the political affairs of this village. The Curse of Hatred runs too strongly in their blood. Insanity tends to overwhelm their most talented ninjas." He continues.

"Are you asking for me to support your bid for becoming Hokage?" Hiashi asks.

"Yes, I would very much like that. I would also be satisfied with your becoming Hokage. You are also a fit choice. Though in all honesty, anyone would be preferable to an Uchiha." The elderly man states bluntly.

Hiashi's and Emiko's eyes narrow for the briefest of seconds, before returning to normal. They both knew what Danzo was implying. He wanted to know if the Hyuga Clan would help him to assassinate any Uchiha who might be selected.

"Well I do admire honesty in all things. I'm certain that Sarutobi will do the right thing though. He always has in the past. Besides, such a choice would be rather controversial. While it might heal the rift between the Uchihas and the rest of the village, it could also have the opposite effect. Forgive the pun, but it would be playing with fire." Hiashi says with a sly smile.

"My thoughts exactly. Well thank you for the tea. I won't impose any longer. I'm glad that we've had this talk." Danzo says as he nods his head politely at the Noble couple.

"As are we." Emiko replies with a sweet smile.

Danzo nods and walks off. Once he was gone, Emiko lets out the breath that she was holding and glances at her husband anxiously. He couldn't possibly be sanctioning such a thing, could he?

"I'm aware of what you're thinking. Danzo is considering an assassination. We both know it." Hiashi says.

"He's plotting against another Noble Clan. What's to stop him from plotting against us, next time?" Emiko asks softly.

"That's a fair point, My Heart. I have no great love or hatred for the Uchihas though. Is there really a reason to endanger the lives of our family by potentially crossing Danzo in order to aid them, should things go that far?" The Hyuga Patriarch inquires.

Emiko frowns once more. What he was saying was true. They had no real reason to stick their necks out for the Uchihas. It was the principle of the thing though.

"This time it's the Uchihas. Next time, it could be us. Fugaku and Mikoto had a public wedding, I think that they are making attempts to reintegrate their Clan into the village. Danzo's concern may be unwarranted. That and if we help them, they will owe us a favor in the future." She tells him.

She didn't like to fight dirty. Emiko knew that the favor part hadn't been fighting fair. Still the Noblewoman knew that it would elicit the desired result. She knew Hiashi Hyuga almost as well as she knew herself, after all.

"That's a good point. Perhaps we should speak to them." Hiashi says and his wife nods in agreement.

A few hours later, the Legendary Sannin were having a reunion in one of the Leaf's many taverns. It had been months since they had last been together. The Sannin had all ended up pursuing different paths.

Orochimaru performed various missions for the Leaf and conducted experimental research involving Jutsus and their medical applications. Tsunade was now heavily involved with the Leaf's Medical Ninja Training Program as an instructor. Finally, Jirayia had become a Sage, a world traveler, and an author.

"I'm telling you, it's the strangest thing. I can't believe that Sarutobi recommended someone for the Sensei Training Program, who isn't even twenty." Orochimaru says as he takes another drink from his sake.

"It doesn't really matter how old someone is. Only their skill level." Tsunade says with a shrug as she downs her glass.

At first, the Toad Sage didn't pay much mind to his companions' conversation. Jirayia was writing a few quick notes in his notebook. The sight of Tsunade's ample bosom was quite inspirational.

"Jirayia, what do you think?" Orochimaru asks.

"Hmm. Well I'm not sure if they are natural or not. She was so flat when we were Genin." He states.

SMACK! Tsunade smacks Jirayia and glares at him. She couldn't believe that such a pervert had become a Sage. Clearly, they were giving out that title far more easily than they used dot.

"They're natural and that's not what he was asking you. Pervert." She grumbles at him.

"If you say so and sorry, Orochimaru. I just got a bit distracted by taking notes for my latest novel. What did you want to know?" The white haired man inquires.

"I wanted to know what you think about Sarutobi putting someone under the age of twenty into the Sensei Training Program." The other male Sannin states.

Jirayia pauses as he considers his friend question. It was certainly unusual, but he'd need to know more about the "kid" to give an informed reply. It wasn't really fair to judge someone based solely on their age.

"It does seem a rather unconventional move, but I trust Sarutobi's judgment. That and it's not really fair to judge someone that we've never met based solely on their age." The Toad Sage answers.

"A fair point. I think that we should remedy that immediately." Orochimaru says and with that, he heads off in search of Daisuke.

"We'd better follow him to make sure he doesn't earn the ire of the entire Uchiha Clan." Tsunade says with a sigh and Jirayia nods in agreement.

They quickly pay for their drinks and follow their friend. God only knows what sort of mischief he was about to get himself into. Orochimaru's curiosity had a way of getting the better of him sometimes.

Orochimaru found Daisuke in one of the Leaf's training grounds. Perfect. Hmm. Let's see what this kid could do. He quickly summons one of his snakes and directs it to attack.

"What the Hell?!" Sasuke asks as he does a backwards flip and Summons Garuda just in time to avoid being grabbed inside the serpent's mighty jaws.

It wasn't Manda. That was good. That meant that one hundred people hadn't been sacrificed to summon it. The snake in question wasn't Aoda either though. He recognizes it as being one of Orochimaru's lesser known Summons.

"That was an impressive reaction time." Orochimaru says as he reveals himself.

"Better call off your snake. I'd rather not have to kill it because it has an idiot for a Master." Sasuke hisses at him from his position on Garuda's back.

"Feisty. Well I suppose that is expected. You're an Uchiha, after all. Hmm. You're also young to have a Summon Contract. I'm beginning to see why Sarutobi would admit you to the Training Program so quickly. Still I can't imagine that this is the extent of your abilities." He says.

Sasuke's eyes narrow. It seemed that no matter the era, Orochimaru was going to have an unhealthy interest in him. In the future, he would certainly get stronger thanks to the Sannin. He had no use for him now though.

He certainly wasn't going to risk exposure because the Sannin was curious. He'd have to deal with him quickly. Sasuke couldn't risk showing Orochimaru any of his more fancy moves.

"Let's see how you and your hawk handle Manda!" Orochimaru says as he summons the mighty serpent.

Sasuke's eyes widen. He didn't think that Orochimaru was that far gone yet in this era. He had already sacrificed at least one hundred people.

The Uchiha man was also almost certain that it was far more than a hundred. Orochimaru was summoning Manda in a rather casual manner. This likely wasn't the first time that he had done so.

"Ah. I see you are afraid of snakes. Interesting. MANDA, ATTACK!" He says as the serpent lunges at Sasuke and Garuda.

"He might be, but I'm not. AODA, ATTACK!" Sasuke hears a familiar feminine voice call out.

Sasuke blinks as he saw his future Summon appear. Aoda had just been Summoned by his mother. His mother apparently had a Snake Contract. He'd never known that about her.

"Mikoto, always a pleasure. This is all just a misunderstanding. Sarutobi sent me to ensure that the boy deserved to be in the Sensei Training Program. I wasn't actually going to hurt him." Orochimaru says in a deceptively charming voice.

"You're a liar! Aoda, kill that beast!" She hisses in a manner more befitting of the serpents on the battlefield than a human at the moment.

"Yes, Mistress!" Aoda says and just like that, the two reptiles were engaged in mortal combat.

Well some things never changed, Sasuke muses to himself. Aoda was always a faithful Summon. He was nothing like Manda who required a ten dozen sacrifices every time he was used.

"Mikoto, you are overreacting. I had no intentions of actually harming the boy. I was just testing his abilities." Orochimaru says.

"Tsukuyomi!" Mikoto calls out as she locks her now ruby red gaze on Orochimaru.

That's when Sasuke notices two other figures approaching the makeshift battlefield. He recognizes them as a younger Jirayia and Tsunade. So all three of the Sannin were here then. Interesting.

Unbeknownst to the three other people on the battlefield, Orochimaru and Mikoto were not in another plane that the Uchiha woman had created. One that was a world of black and red. A world that was unfamiliar and terrifying to the Sannin man.

"What did you do?!" He demands.

"I used a Jutsu known as Tsukuyomi. Essentially, it allows me to create my own world. I control even the perception of time here. To Daisuke and our Summons, we are just standing still and almost no time will pass at all for them. To us, well I can make you feel as though you were trapped here for days." She informs him.

Orochimaru feels himself bristle with rage. How dare she treat him this way?! He was a Sannin and her elder! He was also a fellow Leaf Ninja.

"This is an impressive trick, but you are forgetting something. You can't kill me in a Jutsu like this. You can make me feel like you have killed me, but it doesn't harm the physical body as much as the mind. When I get out of this, you'll regret it. You can't possibly beat me in combat. We both know that." He snarls at her.

"You're right. In hand to hand combat, my odds of winning are low to put it charitably. This isn't hand to hand combat though. By the time that I finish with you, you'll be little more than a vegetable. You won't be able to lift a finger against me or Daisuke, any time soon." She says with a cruel smile.

Orochimaru's eyes narrow. Normally, he would have said the woman was bluffing, but he knew that smile. He had displayed it to countless of his medical research victims. She was serious in her threat.

"You will regret this. You won't kill me. We both know that." He warns her.

"You're right. I won't kill you, but I think we both know there are things worse than death. You'll recover of course. Once you do, you should consider one very important attack. An attack on one Uchiha is an attack on all of us." She replies.

Orochimaru watches her with growing alarm. She was correct. It was very likely that she could come up with something suitably horrific to freeze him with fear. After he recovered, her Clan would already know what he had done. They would want revenge.

"You're a Legendary Sannin, but do you really think that you could beat all of us? Let's pretend for a moment that you are that delusional, do you think that the Third Hokage would really overlook that large of a slaughter? He wouldn't do that. Not even for you." Mikoto finishes with a smirk.

That was the beginning of Orochimaru's three days of torment. It was endless. He never would have suspected that such a sweet looking woman could be capable of such sadism. It was truly too bad she was already married. She had a wonderfully wicked mind.

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade calls out in the real world.

"He can't hear you. She's got him trapped in a Genjutsu." Sasuke whispers as he directs Garuda to land and gets off the hawk's back.

"I'm so sorry about this. Orochimaru was just curious about what you were capable of. It's rare to see such a young ninja granted entry into that training program." Jirayia says as Tsuande nods in agreement.

Sasuke sighs and nods in understanding. It was only natural that Orochimaru would be curious. He wasn't the only one though. The raven haired man could scarcely imagine what his mother must be making Orochimaru see. What she must be making him feel.

"It's alright. I wasn't actually hurt. Mikoto just didn't take an unprovoked attack on her Clansman well." He explains.

A few seconds later, Orochimaru collapses to the ground. His body was convulsing and there was saliva dripping out of his mouth. Sasuke still didn't now what his mother had done to the Sannin to elicit such a response, but it must have been particularly gruesome.

That's when a loud THUD is heard. Manda's body fell over as Aoda releases him from his jaws. He had suffocated the other serpent to death. Orochimaru's favorite Summon had breathed his last.

"Mistress, I have done as you commanded." Aoda says.

Mikoto smiles and walks over to the giant snake. She pats his cheek affectionately, before whispering something into his ear. Whatever she had said, caused him to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Orochimaru attacked Daisuke unprovoked. I saw to it that he'll think twice before attacking our family again." She says, eyeing the other Sannin warily.

If Jirayia and Tsunade wanted to avenge their comrade that was as fight that she didn't think she could win. It would almost certainly end in defeat, even with Daisuke's help. She could only hope that they would understand what she had done.

"I was afraid that he would do something like this. Come on, Tsunade. Let's get him to the hospital." The Toad Sage says with a heavy sigh.

"Alright. It's not your fault, Mikoto. He attacked first. It was a stupid thing for him to do." The busty medic mutters as she and Jirayia Flicker off with Orochmaru in tow.

"What did you do to him?" Sasuke asks his mother curiously.

Warning Brief Torture Description

"Well I may or may not have forced Orochimaru to slit his own throat and slowly dismember himself. Repeatedly. The Tsukuyomi is a most useful Jutsu." She says cheerfully.

End Brief Torture Description

Sasuke blinks. His mother had done WHAT?! She had to be joking. There was no way that she was capable of such savagery.

"Did you really force him to do that?" He asks.

"Perhaps I did and perhaps I didn't. Either way, two good things came of this day. He learned never to attack my son and I believe I shall have a fine pair of snake skinned boots." She says with a smile.