Luce died surrounded by her family.
Aria was left with a horrible responsibility.
Reborn felt as if he had done it himself. A piece of him left with her he was sure, a small part of his soul that would never recover. It would mend improperly and be the small weakness he could not rid himself of. That much, he thought to himself, was deserved.
Verde had been the one to take the pacifier from her body and placed it on Aria. Luce had informed them all that Aria would be the next Sky holder and there was no reason to fight it. Reborn had felt the resistance leave his own body as Luce had laid there so pitifully. Her arm hardly had the strength to raise and reach for her daughter, barely a foot away from her playing with a new doll. Aria had glanced up at her mother and moved closer to make it easier.
She was a kind child.
Reborn was tasked with destroying her.
Verde had put the pacifier over Aria's head. Lal had taken a deep breath perhaps anticipating what the rest of them had feared. She made an aborted motion to stop him but it was no use. The pacifier had settled around the toddlers neck and glowed softly. Lal did not react but she did step back away from the rest.
She had not bonded with Luce but she must have been fond of her. Reborn did not look too closely to their relationship. But he made note of her reaction all the same.
Verde's hand curled around his side. Colonnello let out a breath, "Kora.." he whispered. Viper just off to the side of him leaned closer to look at Aria. Luce's body cooled next to them, ignored for the time being.
Aria's appearance did not change, her shape not even flickering. While the rest of them had changed into lesser forms Aria remained unchanged. Was it because she was already a toddler? Would she simply not age? If so, would her mind develop? Was her curse to forever be a toddler? She would be the head of her family, she could not afford to be cursed to such. It made Reborn annoyed to see such thoughts circle his mind.
Aria shifted in his arms, uncomfortable maybe with the pull on her dormant flames. She was a toddler but she was forced to deal with this before she could speak full sentences.
His eyes slanted towards Luce just once more. Reborn could not afford another weakness like this any longer. Viper was completely in Aria's space now examining her and prodding her flames.
"Stop it." Reborn snapped.
"Something isn't right." Verde leaned in as well, prodding the little girl's cheek. "She has not changed at all."
"She's already a toddler." Lal pointed out.
"Kora! What do you expect for her to get smaller?"
The rest of them argued, subdued and without the loudness their group usually brought.
The first time in five years they had all gathered together and it was only for the death of their sky. Even then the stupid lackey couldn't even be bothered to show up for her final hours. Reborn had kept tabs on every single one of his so-called comrades. Watching and categorizing their movements. Reborn had known that the information would do him good one day, it was best not to step on each other's toes when it came to the jobs he took.
Skull was the only one he hadn't been able to keep track of. Not completely anyway, he popped up across Italy and France. Leave chaos in his wake and disappear all over again. To where he could never figure out not yet. He wasnt so desperate as to use his new Vongola sources for something so unnoteworthy as the wayward cloud.
His eyes unwillingly met Luce again. Reborn had been the cause of many corpses before. He would be the cause for many more. Reborn was the world's greatest hitman. But the pain he had felt putting Luce out of her misery would follow him for the rest of his life.
Sasuke had spent months in his head alone waiting for Kiba.
He had never realized how much he relied on Kiba in this odd world. Without him it had been so obvious how much he longed to go home and find his family again. He wanted his mother and father. Itachi and Shisui. His teammates and even Kakashi-sensei would be a welcome face.
Instead Sasuke had walked out of his meeting with Luce and readied himself to go home. He would start the seal process and they would return. There was nothing that could stop him. Nothing holding him back. He had to let go of these attachments, they had meant nothing to him. If Luce was capable of betraying him, who's to say the others would not? If anything they were more likely to do it.
Sasuke had left that meeting changed.
Joining a mafia family seemed the obvious choice. But Sasuke couldn't see himself content with following orders from someone weak, he enjoyed ordering others around instead. When Kiba woke up he would surely agree with him and his assessment of the situation.
Like one of the Punks, the matrons used to complain about Sasuke going around Italy and beating up members of different families. Interrogating them and judging their worth. None seemed worthy of his attention. Except once he had beat up a strange man who seemed excited by the prospect?
"Skull-Sama!" The man exclaimed. "It is an honor to meet you!"
Sasuke stopped mid punch and looked at the man oddly. He had stumbled upon a few men and women happy to be beaten up by him but he had made far different assumptions than the one he was making now.
And so was the beginning of Sasuke finding out that he had an entire familia waiting for him.
The man, Taoka, had led him to their housing area and bowed. Sasuke had been very concerned about going into his car and being led elsewhere. He had felt adrift without Kiba but Akamaru had swatted him with a tentacle or two as he followed right behind Sasuke. No doubt cursing his stupidity.
Akamaru had lifted two tentacles and threatened to beat Taoka within an inch of his life. The man had looked awed at the gesture and immediately offered the octopus whatever he liked. Sasuke sighed as Akamaru's god complex sprang to life. The octo-dog had an ego that rivaled Kibas on the best of days.
The car ride was filled with nothing but the sound of Akamaru making a cute 'blub blub' noise. It had not taken long for Sasuke to grasp the distance they would be taking and how to best prepare himself for a fight.
"It's just outside of town, master." Taoka had said after a period of silence.
Master? Sasuke thought. "Not long now?" he asked.
Taoka nodded vigorously, "Ten minutes at the most. The road here has been paved over recently."
Sasuke looked out the front of the car with a contemplative expression. The road did look newly paved, he noted. It was lined by the same tree over and over duplicated in perfect amounts of space between. Sunlight peeked through the branches and leaves to make an almost pleasing effect on the surroundings. Kiba would have liked it, maybe even demanding to take a walk through the trees. He enjoyed scenery more than any other shinobi. Sometimes he would take over the body and smell the air. It never lasted long and he would always retreat dejected. This body was not an Inuzuka.
The rest of their ride was quiet. The car rolled down the road and came to a complete stop. Just past the trees was a large building covered in vines. It was nothing like the building he had gone through for Luce. He couldn't help but be grateful for the smallest of mercies.
"This is it, Master." Taoka said. He stepped out of the car quickly, Sasuke made to follow but Taoka had already moved to the other side and opened his door. Just next to the door he stood bent by the waist. "This way please."
Sasuke watched him for a brief time before stepping out. An inch of regret hunting through his chest. He wished he had worn something more formal instead of his biking leathers. Even his helmet remained on his head. Sasuke gripped his own hand and moved forward and followed after the man. The silence stretched out uncomfortably. It was so still he was unsure if there was anyone else even in the building he was about to enter.
Ah well, he thought. He loved the sense of danger that thrummed under his skin. Moments like this he lived for.
Sasuke entered the building and was met, to his surprise, a large group of people each bent at the waist. None spoke as he walked past and Sasuke could not muster up the energy to put up a show for them. To be Skull as he was meant to be a show and not Sasuke. Not in this world, he could not fully be himself. Yet he found Skull eluding him. Without Kiba it seemed the persona they had built was but wind to him.
Akamaru, similarly depressed by Kibas lack of presence, took it upon himself to be eccentric and track all eyes on him. The perfect companion to Skull De Mort, a boy who thrives on attention. Sasuke mentally thanked Akamaru for taking the attention off him. He could see their eyes tracking Akamaru bouncing forward and doing several twirls. Finishing this with a pose to show off the nonexistent muscles on his tentacles.
Sasuke continued past Akamaru and his gawking crowd of admirers and to the steps. Each step made a soft thump sound that made him cringe. It was a waste of chakra to soften his footsteps. But it made him uncomfortable how easily heard he was. Out of practice, a terrible voice whispered in his ear and he couldn't help but agree with them.
Chakra was hard to use for him even now that he tried so hard to bring even the smallest amount out. He chided himself for even considering wasting such a precious resource.
Taoka moved ahead of him and led him down a long hallway decorated with large postures of Skull De Mort and his greatest achievements. Akamaru rushed to catch up with him and Taoka the sloppy sounds of tentacle hitting soft carpet.
The posters would be creepy if the photos they all displayed weren't so good. Sasuke would have to remember to bring himself back so Kiba may also bask in their wonderfulness.
"Right ahead, Master." Taoka bowed once and reached the end of the hallway. His hand snaked forward and grasped the door handle opening the door with little fanfare. Akamaru stood outside the doorway ready to act as the guard.
"Thank you." Sasuke said. Taoka looked as if he had just promised the world to the man. Sasuke did not linger in the doorway and walked right through. What he saw took his breath away.
"Gara." He whispered, a large smile grasping his lips.
"Cherep." Gara stood from the large leather chair he was seated on. Sasuke paid little attention to the girl in the room instead walking around the table and reaching upward to grasp Garas arm.
"Now how did you end up here?" Sasuke asked. "Last I saw you did not want to leave the motherland." He slipped so easily back into Russian as if he had never stopped speaking it.
"Well a lot can change in a few years. You for example! When I opened my newspaper and saw you on a tightrope? You insane fool I couldn't believe it."
Sasuke was glad the man in front of him did not comment on his height and status as a toddler.
"I've always been known to surprise." The smile spread easily.
Gara had been one of the first boys Sasuke had made friends with. Their friendship came shockingly easy to him, before he had tried to force the children in the school to leave him alone and follow some much needed rules. Sasuke still remembered the boy telling him his mother was sleeping around the village. It made him laugh even in the hollow nights where he wanted nothing to do but succumb to sadness. The homesickness for Konoha never went away but it was easier to deal with.
"Varkov? Isacc?" Sasuke asked. The two boys who had gone to prison for him, crimes he had done and they took the fall for. Sasuke had tasked Gara with taking care of them.
Gara hummed, "Varvok took Victor to Russia and secured our armory. They would be here to greet you but," Gara gestured vaguely around, "we took over this familia just as you ordered."
Sasuke blinked at him. Eh? He thought.
"And Isacc?" He said sliding right past that information. For another time he promised himself.
"He's on his way here with groups A and C. We're adding our men back into the mix here. All the boys back from the school are coming here just for you Cherep." Gara turned and beckoned a girl forward. "This is Bala, she's my little sister."
Sasuke turned to her and gave her a slight nod.
"She took over the smaller kids after you left and I smuggled them all to France. I'm sure you would like to see the paperwork on that. Rest assured I've got everything covered."
Bala nodded excitedly. "It's an honor to meet you Boss. I've been decoding your messages for a few years now." She bowed her head, her face flushing.
"You've done well." Sasuke said vaguely not knowing for a moment what she was decoding. Bala's face brightened immediately and Gara gave him a look that made him think he had done the right thing.
"Why do some of you call me Boss and others Master?" He had heard a few whispers on his way here along with Taoka.
"Master is what everyone who knows you only as Skull calls you. Boss is what they call you, they know you as Cherep. They know you as if you were in Russia." He nodded with a wry smile.
Sasuke laughed dryly. "I see."
Gara rubbed his hands. "Alright, we have work to do." Bala rounded the table and sat down primly. Gara gestured to Sasuke and led him to the front of the table. Sasuke took his seat and Gara sat on his side. The seat had several cushions to help raise his height making it easier for him to meet the other two's eyes.
"And what do you call me Gara?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask.
"Cherep!" Gara laughed. "Imagine me calling you boss?"
Sasuke smirked. "I like the sound of it personally."
He was home. Sasuke had finally made it home.
"Sasuke!" His Mother laughed, he had never heard her so pleased. "You finally came home hm? Well you can bring some leftovers to Kiba."
Sasuke opened his mouth to ask how he had gotten home. But a hand on his shoulder stilled him. Slowly he turned to meet the eyes of his brother. "Itachi," The word left his mouth like a prayer.
"Welcome home little brother." A small smile graced his brother's face, his eyes looked alive. Gone was the sick paleness of his skin and was replaced by a healthy glow. "I'm happy you came for dinner."
"Yes." Sasuke replied. Home. He had dreamed of coming back everyday for years now. His family's faces never left his dreams for long. "I never want to leave. Not ever again." It was the truth that spilled from his lips yet he held back saying anything else. There was so much he wanted to tell the two of them yet the words refused to come.
"Come sit down." His Mother walked forward, her feet never making a sound as she padded across the room. Her arm reached over and surrounded him in a half hug he hadn't realized he desperately missed. "I'll put dinner on the table right now." She promised him. Her smile never left.
Sasuke could not breathe.
"I'll do it Okaasan." Itachi walked ahead of them to do as he said. Sasuke stared at his brother's back. His mind raced as he tried to recall the last time his brother referred to their Mother that way.
Sasuke blinked and he found himself at their dining table. He sat comfortably on a cushion, his back straight just as he had when he was still a small child. Itachi was sitting next to him, his mother right across from him. An empty space right next to her. His mother was still smiling yet there was no food on the table.
"Sasuke." His Father said. Sasuke whipped his head next to his Mother where his Father now sat. When? His mind asked but he sat frozen when he saw his Fathers smile. His father never smiled. Not at him. Not at the disappointment.
His Fathers mouth opened but out came no words. Instead blood trickled down his chin. His eyes were glassy where before they held mirth.
"No." Sasuke whispered. His limbs stayed glued to their sides, he could not move a single muscle. Sasuke was useless. "No no no no."
"Sasuke…" His Mother whispered. His Mother was staring at him in open mouthed horror. Itachi stood behind her with a sword in his hand. A sword running through their mothers chest. "Sasuke…" His Mother whispered once more.
Sasuke was holding the sword. He stood behind his mother and held the sword that ran straight through her back. His arms would not move, his mouth would not open. Sasuke needed to scream.
Slowly his head finally obeyed him. Sasuke's head turned and he wished it had not. Now his brother stood before him. Smiling while blood dripped from his lips. His sharingan, his beautiful eyes, leaked blood. "I will love you forever…" His brother coughed stumbling. "You dont have to forgive me, Sasuke."
I killed him, Sasuke thought. I killed them all. I killed them all. I killed them all.
"Sasuke." His brother whispered, his arm reaching for him.
"Sasuke." His Mother said, leaning forward falling off the sword he impaled into her.
"Sasuke." His Father screamed, turning his head to witness his son killing his wife. His Father smiled.
"SASUKE!" A voice yelled desperately. "SASUKE!" It chanted over and over. Sasuke could not breathe, could not move, could not…
"WAKE UP!" Kiba yelled.
When Sasuke opened his eyes he was not greeted by the dead eyes of his family. Of his fathers smile or his brother's eyes. He did not feel the brush of his brother's hair hitting his face nor the feel of his breath as he leaned forward. He dared not miss the brush of his lips as his brother kissed his forehead as if he was still a young boy and not a grown man. Itachi did not dare to wipe his tears or promise to protect him.. Too fight, too laugh, too love. It had been years now since he had last seen his brother and Sasuke felt a pain he wasn't sure how to articulate in a way that did not make him feel childish.
His mother came to mind after he shoved Itachi from his thoughts. Her smile and kind eyes made him feel a horrible pang in his chest. She was coughing when he had left. Sasuke had not thought of this for a long time now but a horrible worry wormed its way into his chest. What if it was serious, unlike what she claimed? What if she found herself in the hospital and here Sasuke was playing and hardly taking his return home seriously. It was little wonder why everyone looked to Itachi as the better son when Sasuke was being so undutiful.
His father would no doubt stare at him with a cold stare that would shatter his soul should he find out what he had done. Would his father claim him disowned? Would anyone come to his defense?
Unlikely, he thought. He did not deserve such pity nor did he want it. Sasuke was a disappointment and he did not deserve to go home. To face his family and tell them what he had done. Or rather what he hadn't done.
The dream cemented itself in his mind.
Sasuke Uchiha was a coward. How could he face his family? His clan? His teammates?
His breath came to a stutter. Naruto would hate him for what he had done. He could feel the cold anger burning in the idiot's eyes. "How could you?" he would say. "She was defenseless and a baby!"
Even in his daydreams were not safe from Luce and those accusing eyes. He hated her and wished she would drown in those stupid flames. Those flames that felt so much like home that he could do nothing but pull away from her violently.
Sasuke turned out of bed pulling away from the covers and forcing himself to face the day. Without Kiba prattling in his ear it was less easy to start each day. He looked upward, tracing the lines in the ceiling.
Kiba, he thought, are you awake?
Just like every other day Kiba did not answer. Sasuke refused to worry. Kiba had been asleep longer, he always returned. This time would be no different than before. In his dreams Kiba would appear, sometimes in his body. Others have a voice like last nights. Sometimes it was just a presence that overwhelmed his senses.
Sasuke had tried to rip the pacifier from his throat, to burn it with those purple flames. He even tried to use his Chakra and tear it from his throat. Nothing worked. The flames still pulled from the noose around his neck. Kiba did not awaken. Sasuke continued to become angrier and angrier.
The pacifier he was convinced was the reason for his friend's disappearance he was sure of it. He would do anything to rid himself of it no matter what. Sasuke Uchiha would no longer be the coward this world created. His lips curled back as he sat up from the bed.
No, Sasuke decided, he had spent enough time being passive. It was time to return home. But first he intended to save his friend. Together he would bring them home and not a moment before.