"Hey, Sasuke! Do you want to come over for bbq? My dad's taking me, Ino, and Shikamaru out!"
Sasuke Uchiha glanced at Choji Akimichi, shaking his head. "Sorry. My parents want me home."
"Okay. Maybe next time then?"
"Hn." Sasuke shrugged, and looked away to the Academy's exit, where a large number of other students were leaving. Waiting until the crowd of students and parents dispersed, until it became nothing more than a trickle of students leaving, Sasuke soon then began to depart, but before he could do so, Iruka had called him over and handed him his quiz score.
"Good job as always, Sasuke." He handed him back a near complete score, 23/25.
Sasuke nodded, taking the paper. Turning his gaze to the now empty Academy exterior, he decided to wait, as there was nothing at home awaiting him. His father was still busy with work, and while he could go home early, he decided he could stay a bit longer.
Staring out at the empty field of the Academy, he stared at the emptiness once more, before he noticed something that stood out. Narrowing his gaze at the patch of blonde in the distance that was near the lone swing set, he knew immediately who he was.
Naruto Uzumaki.
His face was quite recognizable across the village, and Sasuke was no different. Occasionally when he walked with his parents, there were some screaming and shouting, and the obnoxious laughter of the blonde as he cackled in glee and joy. In the village, he was spoken as a devil, mainly for his pranks, and Sasuke could see how that would be annoying from time to time and how he could be a nuisance. After all, no one wanted to be paint bombed or dumped in trash of other people's belongings day after day. However, the talk wasn't just simply about how much of a nuisance Naruto was.
Rather, it was also what they called him that had no substance or value whatsoever. A demon.
Sasuke only ever thought of demons as monsters of fictional fairy tales, the kinds his mother used to read to him. Them calling him such? Initially, Sasuke believed that they were calling him so as for the same reasoning that the other villagers had called him for, because of his pranks. But as Sasuke studied more and more of the villager's postures, he could see that they truly did not like Naruto, and it wasn't for the pranks. It took some time for him to understand that.
And now, he saw Naruto quietly hanging by the swing, his sky blue eyes looking down at his feet.
Sasuke preferred solitude and quiet. It was the security of no one surrounding him that brought him comfort and where he could truly gather his thoughts. It was the type of person he was. Seeing Naruto though, sitting by the swing, made him wonder if Naruto had been doing that from the start.
Sasuke could only imagine what and why they were calling him the demon? The only conclusion he came to was that they were referring to the Nine Tailed Fox, but the Fourth Hokage defeated the being. It didn't make sense to Sasuke and while Naruto was obnoxious at times, he was not even close to being a demon. A demon preyed on every individual with no remorse. Naruto may have done so with his pranks, but with true malicious intent? He severely doubted that. Both had no connection.
Sasuke could only stare a moment longer, unsure if he should approach him. Both rarely had talked. In fact, Naruto had only ever challenged him and Sasuke found it quite annoying. Speaking of which… He realized that Naruto had stopped issuing challenges to him.
He didn't know why. The blonde, as perhaps only he, and Iruka if the looks he garnered from the man directed to Naruto, was the only few ones to notice it. Or maybe their other classmates did, but they chose not to say anything. Sasuke would admit that he didn't like a large company bothering him, but even he noticed that Naruto, who was the most boisterous next to Kiba, was different. He began to pay more attention to his work, and even answered some questions correctly. Sasuke didn't mind the change, but for what brought about it, he was at a lost.
Suddenly, Naruto's eyes flashed up, and sky blue met a coal onyx.
Both the two boys stared at each other. Sasuke, while outwardly gave off a look of indifference, was unsure of what to do in his mind. He wanted to go up and say something, but say what? His eyes scanned the face of Naruto.
But Iruka was there and he too noticed it. His long and tall figure came by to him, as he patted his shoulder. "Sasuke, you can go now. Don't worry about Naruto."
Sasuke glanced across as he noticed Naruto was looking elsewhere now.
Iruka noticed it, "Do you want to talk to Naruto?"
Sasuke did. He knew he wanted to say something, but what? He didn't know. Both rarely conversated at all. Naruto's only words to him were challenges, and Sasuke's only words were… well, insults. He knew his mother would scold him on that, but to be fair and in his defense, it would be annoying if the same kid in your class kept issuing you random challenges when you wanted to be left alone among a dozen other students who were just as loudmouthed and as annoying.
Right now, however, Sasuke had nothing, even if he planned to approach him.
"I don't know." Really, he didn't. "Does Naruto sit there all the time, Iruka Sensei?"
"He does." Was that a look of sadness on Iruka Sensei's face? He felt a tinge of guilt for not realizing it sooner.
Iruka's face continued to give a sad solemn look, before he realized it, and looked down at the Uchiha. "You can go now, Sasuke. I'll talk to Naruto."
"Are you sure?"
"It's fine. Your parents are waiting for you."
Sasuke nodded, even only hesitatingly. "I guess. See you tomorrow, Iruka Sensei."
"See you tomorrow, Sasuke."
Sasuke walked off, and noticed Naruto's head turn up as Iruka approached him on the swing set.
Even as he walked home, he could not keep his mind off Naruto.
Supper was beef and tomato stew, the latter food being his favorite in an already delicious broth filled with goodness, but for Sasuke, he did not feel hungry. The appetite built up from Academy training earlier for shurikens and kunais was now seemingly gone. Instead, he poked around his dinner. And he knew the reason why.
"Is there something wrong, Sasuke?"
Sasuke looked up to see his mother staring with concern on her face. "No. It's nothing." That was a lie. He cannot lie for his life, and it showed on her face.
"Sasuke, you don't need to lie to me. I know something is wrong. Please tell me if there's something wrong." Mikoto gently scolded him. From the corner of his eye, his father turned his head towards them. "Sasuke?"
"Is it about the Sharingan Triple Windmill Attack?" His father questioned him. "Sasuke, it's fine. You can go at your own pace. You don't need to push yourself to be the best at the Triple Windmill. While the Sharingan is more effective at the higher stages of each tomoe, it still can be used to great effect even without it."
"No, its not that. It's…"
Sasuke didn't want to concern his parents. It was probably nothing, but… "Mom. Dad. Do you know a blonde kid at the Academy?"
"Blonde kid? What's his name?" Fugaku questioned his son to narrow the list of blonde kids currently enrolled.
"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."
The dining room became silent. Sasuke didn't notice the change in atmosphere and continued. "I noticed that he's sitting by the swing set outside the Academy today after school and Iruka Sensei told me that he sits there all the time, yet I don't know why."
"Sasuke?" He looked up at his mother's critical expression on her face, and was yet still confused by it all. It was the same one his teacher earlier after school had. "Have you heard from other people what they say about him?"
He nodded. "I heard from other people and villagers that they call him a demon and they treat him like he's a plague, and I don't even know why. He might be annoying, because he keeps pulling pranks, but they keep calling him a demon and I don't even understand at all why. I thought at first it might be the pranks, but now I don't think so. It doesn't make any sense simply because of some pranks." He looked at his parents once more. "Mom. Dad. Do you know why?"
"It's…" Mikoto wanted to tell everything to Sasuke. Spill the secrets she was forced to by silence. But she felt Fugaku's look, knew the expression he donned, and then she shook her head. "I'm… I'm sorry, Sasuke. I don't know."
"Okay…" Sasuke didn't believe her words, and Mikoto didn't believe it either. She glanced at her husband, and he just shook his head, mouthing the words. After this.
As the evening approached, Fugaku donned his vest, as both Mikoto and Sasuke were about finished with their task of washing the dishes.
"I'm going now." Fugaku spoke, and Mikoto nodded. Their gazes communicated through the silence, and Fugaku knew what both of them were thinking.
As Fugaku turned away to leave, his Sharingan flared in the night.
I'm coming for you, Hiruzen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled his pipe as he set aside another stack of paperwork in the night of Konoha skies. Jotting down his name on the paper and stamping his approval and disapproval, he continued the task of working diligently and yet thoroughly as possible, making sure to read each demands of towns beyond Konoha or within.
As he set aside the stack he completed, he looked to the final stack, and inhaled deeply, before exhaling, preparing himself for the rigors of paperwork, until that is, before he began the next set.
A knock on the door snapped him out of the work, and it was a brief comfort if anything to do besides filing away and stamping contracts. "Yes?"
"Sir, there is someone who wants to meet you."
"Who?"
"Fugaku Uchiha, sir."
Hiruzen blinked for a moment. Fugaku? The last time he had seen the man was just only after the Uchiha massacre, save all for his wife and youngest son, was at the hospital, where he saw Fugaku gave to him a look of disdain that clearly stated how much he viewed the man and Hiruzen knew why. It was his isolation policy that started this entire mess, and Hiruzen knew he had only himself to blame.
"Bring him in."
The door clicked open with a creak, and entering was Fugaku. The Head of the Uchiha face was rigid with lines of stress on his face, his jaw set stern and strong, and while his face was set in a neutral look that gave away nothing. Yet despite the stress indicating his premature aging, this was still Fugaku of the Wicked Eye, as he was known during the Third Shinobi War, and as Hiruzen heard from others.
"Hiruzen." The man did not speak of his title as "Lord Hokage" or "Lord Third". Just his name that others spoke as they were well acquainted with him. He did not bow or incline his head respectfully, and Hiruzen supposed that was much respect as Fugaku was willing to give to him out of Clan and Council meetings.
"Fugaku. Good evening. How is Mikoto and Sasuke?"
"They're fine." The tone was snappish and to the point.
Hiruzen nodded. Fugaku was a man of limited patience. "Very well. What can I do for you?"
"Do you know a child named Naruto Uzumaki?"
Despite decades as Hokage and being the Professor, among various other titles and names, Hiruzen could not fully control himself from freezing ever, even the slightest. "Is there something wrong, Fugaku? I can personally guarantee that he is not a danger to your youngest son at the Academy-"
"Cut the shit, Hiruzen. I know the kid. I know he's Minato and Kushina's kid." Fugaku narrowed his gaze, his Sharingan flaring, and he wondered if his ANBU detected the slight chakra flux. "You honestly don't think Mikoto nor I wouldn't connect the dots? Especially by the last name?"
Hiruzen held up a hand first, as an ANBU with a bird shaped mask entered, inclining her head into a bow respectfully, before she vanished in a Body Flicker. A sensory type. He turned his gaze back to Fugaku.
Fugaku didn't deactivate his Sharingan. The three tomoes swirled in the ruby pools of anger and loathing for him. Hiruzen sighed, "Fugaku. You must know that Naruto is not old enough to learn of it. If the word did spread, imagine how fast it would travel to outside the village."
"That's bullshit." But the Head of the clan knew how fast word would have spread. After all, his eldest son, he could only wince, was the one who slaughtered the entire clan. And despite how much effort put in to make sure that word would not spread, Fugaku knew it did by the third day of the first week since the bloodshed the moment he left the hospital for some fresh air.
"And that's the reason why Minato's brat is treated like shit?"
"Fugaku-"
"Whatever problems I had with Minato-" Fugaku still didn't like Minato but he respected his achievements a great deal during the Third War. He had heard it multiple times from his own clan that he should have been Fourth Hokage, that he deserved the title, but the Council voted for Minato, and Fugaku begrudgingly accepted that, as while the title of Hokage did tempt him initially. After the massacre of the clan, it no longer did. "It has nothing to do with how his brat is being treated by the village right now. My business with Minato is personal and is frankly none of your concern. What is of concern is how his brat is being tossed around like shit by the entire village."
Hiruzen sighed. He knew what Fugaku was asking now. "I'm sorry Fugaku. But both of you cannot adopt Naruto."
The room turned cold. Hiruzen watched cautiously at the Sharingan spinning. "And why not? Give me one good damn reason. If you think I'll mistreat the kid because he's Minato's brat because of some childish grudge-"
"No. I'm sorry Fugaku. I know that both of you will not mistreat Naruto and you do not see him as the rest of the village has, but you cannot." Hiruzen looked up at the man once more. "There is a law in place condemning the adoption of Naruto."
"Because I'll tell the brat about his dad? Because my wife will tell him about his mother?" Fugaku sneered. "When that runt deserves to know about his heritage the most?" He began to walk away, but before he did, he turned around and spoke once more, and Hiruzen froze at the sight of what he saw.
Mangekyo.
"This is why I lost all respect for you, Hiruzen. Not only did you condemn my clan to the outer territory of Konoha, you also let it happen, even when you realized that my clan was not responsible for the Nine Tails attack. I could forgive that, if not for the fact that you ordered my eldest to spy on the clan." Fugaku knew in that regard he was a hypocrite when he ordered Itachi to do the same in return but he only wanted Itachi in the ANBU initially because he was extremely talented and represented the Uchiha the best, not because he wanted to retaliate against Konoha. In fact, he believed that Itachi being in the ANBU along with Shisui would alleviate concerns of the Uchiha playing a part in the Nine Tails as both would serve the village faithfully, thus proving their loyalty and removing them from any suspicion. But all his clan seemingly got was more suspicion and hostility and it resulted in nothing. "Even after my son took the lives of all, and came close to doing so against Mikoto and myself, you ordered the both of us to hide the truth from Sasuke. So that the truth of the massacre would never come to light. I'm only tied to this village because of my wife and my child. If I leave or reveal the truth of the massacre, then I would be considered a traitor and would have no place to go to protect my wife and child."
"But if that wasn't the worst offense, you hide the heritage of a child's parents from them because of some fear. You allow the kid to be treated like shit because you can't even meet face to face and tell him why."
"This is why I no longer respect you as Hokage, Hiruzen. Because you're a coward who looks the other way. Letting others do your work for you because you're afraid to do it yourself, afraid of consequences. Allowing Danzo to remove my clan from Konoha and then give the order to my son to exterminate my clan. You're a coward."
Fugaku left the office, slamming the door shut after himself.
Empty silence followed and an ANBU arrived, bowing respectfully. The same bird masked ANBU. "Lord Hokage, should I go-"
"No, Bird. It's fine."
"But sir-"
"It's fine. Let him go." Hiruzen nodded, and Bird vanished. Glancing over to the portrait of Minato in his office, during his inauguration, he spoke, even though the still inanimate portrait would not speak to him.
"Minato. What would you do right now, in my position?"
The portrait did not give an answer back.
Sasuke is more open due to his parents influence, and with less pressure put on him by Fugaku. Expect Sasuke vastly different from the start of the series.