Her Face
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
Chapter 19
"Things will work out better this time. I promise." Sasuke whispers to Itachi two weeks later.
It was as though he really expected much of an answer. Itachi couldn't talk yet. Truly, it was the most surreal experience that Sasuke had ever had in his life to see Itachi as a baby.
He was so small and completely helpless. There were no hints of the tortured man that he would become one day. The genius who bore the weight of his almost extinct Clan on his shoulders in silence for years.
"Careful, Daisuke. If the women in this Clan see how good you are with that baby, you'll never get a moment's peace until you have one of your own." Kenji says with a chuckle.
This child was so small, sweet, and innocent. He hated what the world had done to his brother. This time, things would be different though.
"It can't be that bad, can it?" Sasuke asks somewhat nervously.
His memories of Uchiha women besides his mother and grandmother were rather scarce to say the least. Thankfully, they tended to be quieter than most Leaf Village women and were in general, excellent ninjas.
Unfortunately, they loved to gossip as much as anyone. Well at least they had the foresight and keep their gossip largely confined to the insides of the Uchiha District, Sasuke thinks to himself. That was their saving grace, really.
"Oh yes. Yes, it can. You might not have noticed it, but you're rather popular here. I think it has something to do with the fact you were gone so many years. So you're still something of a mystery, even if you've been back for awhile. You know women, they love a challenge." Kenji observes with a quiet chuckle.
No. Sasuke really didn't know women. The girls that used to follow him around at the Academy, didn't count. He knew his mother well now, but Mikoto Uchiha was in a league of her own. Likewise for his grandmother, but women in general were well practically another species to him.
"I'll take your word for it. I can't say that I have much experience with them." He replies.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Sasuke regretted them. Kenji seemed to fancy himself a matchmaker and that was most certainly something he didn't want. If he wasn't' a time traveler, he might have indulged his grandfather. Sasuke was a time traveler though and thus he couldn't.
"That's odd. You must have been extremely focused on that mission of yours. A handsome young lad like you should be enjoying your bachelor days or have found himself a pretty companion already. You don't prefer men, do you? Not that there is anything wrong with that. Our Clan is large enough that it's not an issue if a few of us don't have children." Kenji says knowledgably.
Sasuke blinks. He couldn't believe his ears. Great. Now his grandfather thought that he was attracted to men. Wonderful.
"No! No! I don't prefer men. It's just I've been busy with my mission and when I returned, I wanted to reintegrate myself with our family. I'll find the right woman eventually, but I'm not even twenty. I have time." The raven haired Uchiha says quickly.
"Oh right. You're just shy then." Kenji says slyly as he smiles down at Itachi and tickles his tummy.
Itachi coos happily in response and Sasuke couldn't help, but smile at the sight. At one point, Itachi had been a very happy child. He rarely cried unless he was hungry or needed changed.
That was a very good thing for the first time parents. The first time parents who were sneaking in a bubble bath while Itachi's grandparents and brother watched him. Uchihas were very efficient in their babysitting duties.
"Um right. I guess you could say that." Sasuke mutters awkwardly.
At that moment, Itachi starts to laugh. Dear God, his big brother was laughing at him. Itachi was probably mocking him and he was still just a baby. Sasuke was confident that from here it would be a relatively short trip to those damn forehead pokes.
"Don't worry. Most men start off that way and many grow out of it. Besides, you have your pretty face to help you over the worst of it." Kenji says with a laugh of his own.
"Oh leave the boy alone. I'm sure that he's quite capable of finding himself a sweetheart, if he wants." Aiya says in amusement as she walks over to her husband and kisses his cheek.
Meanwhile in the present, Hinata pours some tea in Gaara's hotel room. She, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Hiashi, and the Kazekage were all there. It was a bit crowded honestly, but the young Kage's quarters were thankfully spacious enough to squeeze them all in.
"So what has you all spooked, Gaara? Hinata's dad says you saw another Uchiha?" Naruto asks brightly.
"My name is Hiashi." The Hyuga Patriarch insists much to their amusement.
"Right. Right. Hiashi says you saw another Uchiha." The bubbly blonde corrects himself.
Gaara shakes his head at his friend's antics. He was grateful for them though. They provided a pleasant distraction from the million questions that were currently swimming around in his head.
"Yes, another Uchiha. This one was a woman. Instead of fighting Sasuke at the Chunin Exams, I faced off against a different Uchiha." The red head explains.
"Oh cool! That means he prevented the Massacre!" The Jinchuuriki exclaims.
"It means that he possibly prevented another Massacre. We have no way of knowing, if these changes will actually occur. For all we know, these might just be flashes of possibilities." The Kazekage reasons.
Naruto frowns as he considers that. Gaara was right, but he really hoped that Sasuke managed to pull this off somehow. It would really suck to go back in time to save your family and not have it work.
"That's true, I guess. Wow. So Sasuke has a sister! Well that or he might have one." The blue eyed ninja observes excitedly.
"I don't think she was his sister. They didn't resemble each other in the way that close family members sometimes do. I think that she was more like extended family." Gaara says.
"Well the Uchihas were a very large Clan. Their numbers rivaled our own really. Some of our family members are scarcely related. Just enough for us all to have the Byakugan. We do need some genetic diversity or we would all be facing severe medical problems." Hiashi chimes in.
Gaara nods gratefully at the Hyuga Patriarch. He was glad that the other man had explained some basics about genetics to Naruto. He wasn't sure that he would have been able to fully articulate that.
Naruto was his friend. The man had an amazing capacity to reach people and pull them out of darkness, but he wasn't an academic. Naruto certainly wasn't stupid, but the finer points of genetics likely would elude him.
"Exactly. Does anyone else have anything to report?" The Sand Ninja inquires.
He knew that he should probably tell them everything that had happened in his flash, but Gaara just couldn't do it. Instead of Naruto being the one who had given him The Speech, this new Uchiha woman had done so.
It had started off verbally. Really, it was a pretty good speech for someone who wasn't a Jinchuuriki to reach him. It hadn't stayed that way though. It had ended with her using her mouth to persuade him by kissing him.
"Nothing new." Hinata says with a blush as she glances nervously at her father.
She had recently told him the truth. Hinata knew that he'd find out sooner or later and it would be better for her to tell the Hyuga Patriarch. It had gone better than expected, but she still felt rather flustered about the whole thing.
"Father, there's something that I have to tell you. It's about the changes being made to the timeline." Hinata whispered.
It had taken her weeks to work up the courage to tell her father. Hinata thought that she had good reason to be skittish though. Sasuke was not exactly known for his calm demeanor and adherence to tradition.
"Speak. I must confess I find myself rather unsettled at how anxious you appear." He stated bluntly.
"I know that you saw mother, but I saw her as well. It was after I was given this. In this new era, I'm engaged. It was an arranged match, but we both entered it of our own freewill." She mumbled as she showed him the necklace.
Hiashi's eyes widened. There were only a handful of times that Hinata could remember seeing her father look truly shocked. That had been one of them.
"That's the Uchiha's Crest. You're telling me that you believe yourself to be engaged to an Uchiha?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yes, father. That's what I'm telling you. I don't know, if I still will be when all is said and done though. No one really knows what is going to happen." Hinata told him.
She could only hope that her father wouldn't fly into a rage. Their Clan had never had a particularly warm relationship with Sasuke's family. She supposed it was only natural though.
They were "Rival Clans." Both families each had a powerful bloodline that was related to their eyes. It was to be expected that they would naturally be competitive with one another.
"I was afraid of something like that happening. You have been avoiding me for awhile, especially after you realized that I had seen your mother. I can't say that I'm particularly pleased about this match, but it may work out. We really do not know if the Sasuke that comes back will be the same one that left." The lavender eyed man said with a sigh.
That was a good point. Would this still be their Sasuke? If he could truly prevent his family from being killed and had no memories of his other life, this Sasuke might be an entirely different person. Hinata wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing really.
Their Sasuke was a creature of rage and loneliness, but that didn't necessarily mean the alternative wouldn't be worse. Sasuke wasn't evil, but he had done a lot of bad things. She knew nothing about what the alternative Sasuke might be like though.
"Thank you, for being so reasonable." The bluenette murmured.
"It seems I do not have a choice. That and if I condoned or will condone this match at some point, I likely had a good reason. I shall just have to trust my judgment. If he mistreats you though, I will find a way to ensure that he NEVER has an opportunity to do so again." Hiashi warns her.
Hinata gulped in response. She could easily imagine her father locking up his chakra points in rather awkward places. He might not win that battle, but he could get in a good shot before he lost. A painful shot.
"Yes, father." Hinata replied dutifully.
"Good to know. The last thing that we need is to find out that you are pregnant. You already went and got engaged." He says with a sigh.
"FATHER!" Hinata squeaks as she blushes redder than a tomato.
Back in the past, Fugaku and Mikoto had finished their bath and were coming downstairs. Mikoto smiles and immediately walks over to Daisuke. He was holding Itachi.
"You're such a good cousin." She says with a sly smile as she takes Itachi into her arms.
Sasuke did feel a little guilty about "lying" to Aiya and Kenji. The two of them had no clue that he was actually their grandson and it had to stay that way. The fewer people that knew the truth, the better off they all would be.
"It seems that the Hyuga Clan Heads wish to speak with the two of you as soon as possible. They understand that you just gave birth and thus it may take some time for you to be ready for such things." Kenji says.
The young Uchiha didn't miss the wariness on his grandparents' faces. They clearly knew something was up. Something big.
"That's considerate of them. Unfortunately, I do not believe that we have time to waste on my recovery. I'm well enough." Mikoto replies.
Oh yes. It was bad. Mikoto had just give birth less than a month ago and felt it was necessary to be prepared for battle. That wasn't good.
"It wouldn't be wise to take Itachi with us while we are meeting with the Hyuga. If we are followed and there is a fight that would put him at risk." Fugaku says.
"I'll stay behind and watch him." Sasuke says.
There was no way that he was going to allow anything to happen to Itachi. This time, he was going to protect his brother. At all costs.
"Thank you. Stay safe, Daisuke." Mikoto says as she kisses his cheek and Sasuke nods.
"Good. Kenji and Aiya, do you wish to go with us or to stay behind and ensure that the others don't realize we are gone?" Fugaku asks.
Sasuke watches as his grandparents seem to be having an internal war within themselves. Obviously, their natural inclination would be to go with them. On the other hand, they could also be useful by staying behind and ensuring that a panic didn't start.
"I don't like saying this, but I think that it would be best for us to stay." Kenji says.
"Finally! I've been waiting decades, but he finally made a responsible decision. I expect I'll see a pig fly by any second now." Aiya observes with a giggle.
"I must protest that observation. I have made many responsible decisions in the past. I married you, didn't I?" Kenji says.
Sasuke shakes his head as he watches his grandparents. He had grown rather used to their antics now. This was likely going to be most entertaining.
"Yes, you did. That was wonderfully irresponsible of you. Mikoto, Fugaku, you can go now. It would be best not to keep them waiting." Aiya says and with that, the new parents flit off.
It didn't take them long to arrive at the Hokage Mountain. Hiashi and Emiko were already there. It was a fairly private location. Most people wouldn't be able to tell that it was them from this height and if they did, well even for ninjas scaling a mountain wasn't something most people did for fun.
"Thank you, for coming so swiftly. We thought that you might just send a scroll here and that's why we were waiting. It wouldn't due to have it send to our Estate. That would arouse Danzo's suspicions further." Emiko explains.
Mikoto nods in understanding. They had to tread very carefully. There was no other way. If they made one wrong move, it could end in disaster.
"We are the ones who should be thanking the two of you. You are helping our family deal with a great threat." The dark beauty says.
"Well as we've said before, what's to stop Danzo from attacking our family next? His ambition and paranoia know no bounds. How is Itachi doing?" Hiashi inquires.
"He's doing quite well. I've never seen a more serene newborn." Fugaku replies.
The Uchiha Matriarch sees Hiashi nod his head in a congratulatory fashion. Honestly, it did surprise her that Hiashi and Emiko hadn't had any children yet. She decides to pawn it off to the fact Hiashi likely wanted to establish himself more as the Clan Head before they did.
"Good. I am glad to hear it. The birth of one's first child is a wonderful thing. I also believe that it may have given us quite the opportunity." He says.
Mikoto's eyes narrow. She most certainly did not like the sound of that. How did Itachi have anything to do with Danzo?
"It would be best, if you would clarify that statement." The Uchiha Matriarch says, trying to hide her fury at the implication.
Was he implying that they should use Itachi as bait?! He was a baby! The very thought was outrageous on its face!
Really, infants should be kept as far away from Danzo as possible. They were small, sweet, and innocent. Anyone who fit those descriptions, shouldn't go within ten feet of the scheming ninja.
"We can host a grand celebration. Itachi is your first child and the two of you are your Clan's leaders. It wouldn't be completely unexpected. We'll invite as many people as possible. We can surely manage to slip a poison into Danzo's drink. A slow acting one, so they won't suspect an assassination." Hiashi says.
Mikoto blinks. That was actually quite brilliant. She glances back at her husband to see what he thought.
"That could work. It would certainly give us an opportunity to have access to his food. Do you think that he would actually attend though?" The other man asks.
"He would attend. The man loves to insert himself into public functions. He thrives off of attention." Hiashi points out.
Mikoto sees her husband nod in agreement. At that moment, she knew it was settled. They were going to plan a celebration and then try to poison Danzo.
Elsewhere Obito and Shisui were with their friends. Every since the unpleasant incident where Guy had called Uchiha Eyes freaky, the spandex lover had been trying to included the young Uchihas into the group more. He was having moderate success.
"Is something going on with your family?" Rin asks in concern.
"What do you mean?" Obito replies warily.
He knew what was going on, but he wasn't sure if he should tell his friends. They might panic. Panicked people tended to do stupid things and if they did something stupid, the adults would be mad at them.
"Scary people follow us!" Shisui says and Obito mentally groans.
It wasn't Shisui's fault. He was just too little to have a filter and sometimes that got the well-intentioned kid in a lot of trouble. The only difference this time was that he had managed to drag Obito down with him.
"Scary people?" Asuma asks and Shisui nods in confirmation.
"It's a long story. My family is still trying to figure out what it all means. So don't freak out." The slightly older Uchiha insists.
He mentally sighs. Everyone was staring at them now. There was no way that he was going to be able to cover this up.
"Well I don't know what's going on, but you're our friend. You know that we'll help you out in any way we can." Kurenai says with a sweet smile.
"That's the spirit! The Power of Youth will save the day!" Guy exclaims excitedly as he strikes a dramatic heroic pose.
Obito blinks and rubs the back of his head sheepishly at Guy's response. He was still getting used to the other man's rather enthusiastic reactions to well everything. Guy was certainly an acquired taste.
"Um yeah. Right." The Uchiha agrees as Shisui laughs.
"He's right though. We're all Leaf Ninjas. That makes us comrades. That means something, even if you are annoying." Kakashi says.
Obito feels himself twitch. That was the closest to being nice that Kakashi ever got. He just couldn't give a compliment without insulting him. It really got on his nerves sometimes!
"Kakashi! Be nice!" Rin lightly chastises him.
"What? I was just saying that we're going to help him and his family figure out what is going on." The silver haired boy defends himself.
Seriously, Kakashi's hair was silver. He was just born that way, Obito guessed. No seven year old should have silver hair. It didn't make any sense. He wasn't old.
He was sure some of the other kids thought it was cool though. Kakashi probably secretly enjoyed the attention. He was just too worried about sounding like a grownup to say so!
"You were being mean! He's not annoying!" Rin protests.
The young Uchiha saw Kakashi shake his head. For a brief moment, he sympathized with the other boy. Both of them were good friends with Rin and neither wanted to see her upset.
Really, that was probably the only reason why they hadn't killed each other. They both wanted to keep Rin happy. Rin was their friend and seeing them kill each other would have upset her. It was all very simple logic really.
"Alright. We'll figure something out." Obito says as they all get in a circle and place their hands on each other.
"Team Fireball will save the day! LET'S GO!" Guy says as he beings the cheer and they all raise their hands in the air, before darting off.
Unbeknownst to the children, they weren't the only ones making plans. The Third Hokage sighs in his office. He knew that he was going to have to do something about Orochimaru and Danzo.
"Danzo's ambitions are getting out of control and Orochimaru is slipping further and further into the Darkness." He whispers to himself.
These observations brought him no great joy. Danzo might not be the most ethical man, but he was loyal to the Leaf Village. He would do anything to protect it, but that was also his greatest failing. There was no line that he wouldn't dare to cross.
"He's never alone though. That will make sorting things out rather difficult and then there is Orochimaru." Sarutobi muses.
It was a hard thing for him to accept, but it was clearly the truth. Orochimaru had attacked an Uchiha unprovoked and Sarutobi doubted that he really wanted to know what was going on in his lab. That and several ninjas had gone missing.
The Hokage didn't think that those things were a coincidence. It was quite likely that Orochimaru was experimenting on humans. He was going to have to find out, if that was true or not. After that, Sarutobi would be forced to act accordingly.
"It's a hard thing, not to be able to trust one's former student." He mutters.
He still cared about Orochimaru a great deal. Any Sensei worth their salt knew that the bond between Master and Student was a sacred one. It was only a few steps removed from the bond of parenthood really.
Speaking of parenthood, he idly wonders how Mikoto's and Fugaku's new born son was doing. He still had to pay them a visit and pay his respects. After all, that boy was going to be the head of the Uchiha Clan one day.
Such gestures were necessary, really. That and he was certain Itachi would be quite the adorable child. He did have two very attractive parents, after all. No one could deny that much.
"Well I'll visit them tomorrow and try to track Orochimaru down." He says as he heads off.
Orochimaru had recovered from his encounter with Mikoto. Sarutobi wished that he could believe that the Sannin realized that he had made a mistake. That Orochimaru had learned not to bite off more than he could chew, but he didn't.
"Some people just have to learn the hard way." He says with a chuckle as he darts off to find his wayward student.