Chapter 27. Sunshower.

Waking to an unfamiliar ceiling didn't unnerve me as much as it should. With Naruto and Sasuke so close to me, my mind was unreasonably calm. My body felt light, no longer burdened by the chakra drainage the genjutsu cost me. With all the bodies burnt, there was no reason to uphold the illusion.

The fact that I was sleeping at the Hyuga compound meant that my deception worked. In a single night, the Uchiha clan, much like the Uzumaki, met their end. The one responsible for their downfall joined an organization comprised of rogue ninja called the Akatsuki.

I didn't want to outright change canon; that would create an unknown future. I could risk the world ending sooner because I was greedy. In order to save the Uchiha clan, I had to sacrifice a part of myself. Inner. I shiver at the memory of ripping her out of me. Someone needed to take Itachi's place in 'plot,' and I could trust anyone else but myself. Shadow clones weren't an option I had; there was another ironic option.

Puppetry.

Following Sasori's example, I made a puppet body and inserted inner into its core. Disguising her as a real person with genjutsu, I gave it a test run by having her perform at a locale pleasure house. As she fooled Kakashi, I thought she was ready.

I felt like the blue fairy making Pinocchio a real boy. I think inner was dying act like the adult we were in the past, sans the controlling parents. She would finally be free, and unlike Itachi, who was living a life of misery, inner would have no qualms about her Akatsuki duties. There was a story there that I refuse to acknowledge.

I brushed my hand through Naruto's spiky hair as the boy curled into my side. There laid another lost. He now knew about his burden and the reason everyone hated him. There was no way to know how Naruto would act after this. He didn't do anything crazy in the original timeline. In fact, it wasn't until he saw Sasuke "die" in front of him did he use the Kyuubi's power.

Memories of Naruto going tail beast cloak had me sighing. That was more than just tapping into the Kyuubi's chakra. I trapped Naruto in a genjutsu far more pleasant than reality and turned to Sasuke.

In the moonlit room, I caught a glimpse of swollen eyes.

Had he been crying?

While I didn't expect Sasuke to be okay after all that happened, I didn't expect him to cry until his eyes swelled. I took comfort in the knowledge that he was still the Sasuke I had come to know. The "original" Sasuke never cried and found the act to be a show of weakness. While he could still follow canon, being friends with Naruto this early had to count for something.

I pulled the two boys closer to me, being sure to influence Sasuke's dream as well. Whatever the future brings, I will face it head-on. This time I will achieve happiness.

Finding something black to wear was a chore. In a sea of reds and pinks, I'd be hard press to find purple. I sighed in defeat when it became apparent, I didn't have a single black outfit. There was something to be said for a ninja to lack black clothing.

"We'll have to go shopping then," mother said when I told her my dilemma. "I suppose giving the choice of clothing to a child was a mistake on our part." Marinette would have picked cool colors like purple or blue, while Sakura would choose hot pink and red.

Walking through the streets of Konoha was the same as always. People didn't bump into each other despite how crowded it was, and people gossiped among themselves. The topic of today was, unsurprisingly, the Uchiha massacre.

The information was muddy among the civilians not privy to top-secret information. While no one could cover up the massacre of an entire clan, they could hide more crucial information, like why the motive.

Some thought it was the Kyuubi who was responsible, but a more sensible person reminded them that it wouldn't have stopped with the clan if that were the case. Others that survived the Kyuubi attack, reminded them that it was the Uchiha that caused the Kyuubi attack in the first place; and that it would be irony that they could control it again.

Some believe it was infighting that ended in everyone's death. The theory was so laughable no one hidden those fools' words. The pride clan wouldn't knowingly destroy its self.

Something not related to the Uchiha did reach my ears, however. The night of the massacre, the road leading to their district flooded suddenly. They didn't see what caused it, but the water was ankle level. Ninjas were their immediate conclusion, but who and why eluded them.

Were mother not doing her best impression of a tomato, I would be clueless.

I found it odd that the civilians had no opinion of me. Were they unaware that there were others besides the Uchiha at the site?

Mother didn't go crazy with her shopping, of which I was grateful. A simple, pure black dress and matching sandals were all we bought before leaving.

Father didn't look himself when we returned home, dressed in black, he lacked his signature smile. He tried and failed to give me a weak smile; he had taken a liking to Fugaku. The two were polar opposites, but father took great joy in annoying the noblemen.

"Go get dress, Sakura-chan." Mother said, pushing towards the stairs.

Naruto stared down at the black suit the third had provided, with dull eyes. He had no one and could lose no one. The thought of attending a funeral was foreign to him. He clutched his locket as he thought of the Uchiha family that treated him like their own.

Mikoto had been so affectionate, cuddling him more than she did Sasuke. Never having a mother shower him with love, Naruto shamelessly bast in it. And now they were gone. Had he more tears, he might have cried. As it was, he had been crying himself to sleep since that night.

Nightmares should have pledged him, yet he dreamt of a family he would never have. He felt guilty for dreaming about family while Sasuke suffered. Every time he closed his eyes, he sees them; a mother with red hair and a lively personality like him and a clam blond hair father. The two contrasted each other but went so well together. If they were real, he could understand why they married.

The fox sleeping in his parents' room had captured Naruto's interest. Whenever he moved to investigate, his father would pull him back saying, he wasn't ready. Ready for what he wasn't sure, but it only made him want to see the fox more. The thought never crossed his mind that the small fox could be the nine tail demon the village feared.

"Naruto, are you ready?" a voice called from his living room. He forgot he had company.

"Coming," Naruto called back, throwing on the black outfit. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed his suspicion.

He didn't look good in black.

His blond hair was too vibrant and contrasted the black horribly. Was that why his father wore blue instead of black?

Naruto exited his room to meet the Anbu assigned to watch him, protect him. The brown hair man introduced himself as Yamato, but Sakura was sure to tell Naruto it wasn't his real name. It was the same guy that protected them with his wood style. Naruto had never seen anyone control trees before but remembered Sakura saying "Sakura hill" was made by a wood style user, he didn't understand what she meant until now.

Yamato was dressed in matching black attire, his mask absent, leaving his abyss black eyes on full display.

"We should get going," the Anbu reached out a hand. He did that a lot, holding Naruto's hand whenever they traveled together. Taking his hand, the two disappeared in a body flicker.

Sasuke stared at his feet that danged of the edge of the bed. Dressed in all black, say for his sandals that sat discarded on the floor. Tying his hair in a low ponytail, Itachi entered Sasuke's room to check on the boy. He found about what he had expected. His brother didn't notice his arrival at all.

"Sasuke," Itachi said from the doorway, waking the boy from his daze. Sasuke looked up; his eyes were red and swollen. Sighing, Itachi walked over to his little brother and gave him a tight hug.

"It's okay, Sasuke, I here."

Itachi always wanted what was best for Sasuke. He wanted his brother to surpass; him even if it meant being hated. Now his brother surpassed him, awakening his Sharingan and Mangekyou Sharingan on the same night.

It was cause for celebration, yet they were going to a funeral. It seemed right for the Uchiha since the only way to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan; is by witnessing the death of a loved one. Itachi had thought for sure that Sakura was dead when she was impaled and tossed in a hole. He still couldn't believe she was still alive after that.

Sasuke's amulet drew Itachi's eyes as it hung over his shirt. His little brother had said Sakura had given it to him the night of the incident. It pulsed with Chakra letting Itachi know, it wasn't just for decoration.

"Big brother, can we train together?" Sasuke asked weakly. It was a question Sasuke asked near every day. His first instinct was to say yes, but something told him that wasn't what Sasuke wanted.

Itachi pulled back and puked Sasuke's forehead.

"Sorry, Sasuke. Maybe next time."

Sasuke smiled, proving Itachi made the right choice.

Sasuke needed a constant in this world of change, and Itachi was happy to be that for him.

"Let's get going, Sasuke."

"Right."

The toning bell marked the beginning of the Uchiha clan funeral. All in attendance stood atop the Hokage tower, dressed in black. Portraits of the deceased littered the Ihai table, the portraits of the clan head and his wife, relatives of the only survivors, were front and center. There last time there was a death count this high in a single night was when the Kyuubi attacked the village.

There were more people present than Hiruzen expected. The Haruno family, along with the remaining Uchiha and Naruto, were a given.

The Hyuga clan, along with the anbus involves in the incident, was a surprise. He had hears reports of naruto venturing into the compound as while as Fugaku and Itachi. He didn't, however, think they would be present considering their clan rivalry. Attending a funeral was a show of respect, after all.

It was no secret that the Uchiha clan made enemies in the village. Be it jealousy of their Kekkei Genkai or annoyance at their pride. So while the Hyuga clan in attendance was surprising. The attendance of all the great shinobi clans was preposterous.

And yet there they were, clad in black, their clan heir at their side. The clan heirs were Sasuke's age and likely attended the same classes. It could be that the children wanted to support Sasuke, and their parents were just tagging along. Except as mentioned before, the Uchihas made enemies easily. The likelihood of an Uchiha getting along with an Inuzuka was nonexistent. Proof of this was the Kiba shifting under his mother's murderous glare.

Never the less, the third was happy they came to send their condolences.

One after the other, those in attendance placed a white flower on the table, whispering their condolences as they went. No one morn aloud, their faces calm. It was surprising that Naruto wasn't bawling his eyes out, though, with his red eyes, he likely had no more tears.

Sakura and Naruto stood on either side of Sasuke, showing their support. Itachi stood behind his younger brother, his eyes also red from crying. In fact, Sakura seemed to be the only one among them that didn't show signs of crying. The young Haruno looked tired.

Sasuke walked up to the table flower in hand and placed it down gently.

"I will get stronger," he whispered. "And make you proud." He walked away, his eyes filled with determination. Something none missed. The Uchiha clan wasn't dead, so long as he still drew breath, their legacy would never die. He would make his father proud.

"I take care of Sasuke, don't worry," Itachi whispered, as he laced his flower on the table.

"You know Sasuke loves you," Mikoto said to her firstborn, "you should return his feelings." she had said it in a teasing manner, but the young Itachi had taken it to heart, being sure to shower his brother with love whenever he returned home.

Naruto wasn't sure what to say as he walked to the Ihai flower in hand. He wasn't required to say anything, but he wanted to. He just didn't know what. There was a lot he wanted to say, so much he wanted to put into words. Even if it never reached them, he wanted to make it known, his true feelings.

As he placed the flower gently down, he whispered the only words that expressed it all.

"Thank you for everything."

Naruto had never known his family. Everyone told him they died the day he was born, and it wouldn't matter if he knew them are not. The Haruno family, the Hyuga clan, and the Uchiha's showed him what it meant to have a family. For that, he would be eternally grateful.

A drop of rain fell, followed by another. Those in attendance looked up confused as the sun shone brightly in the sky.

"It's raining even though the sun is out?" Naruto muttered. Sasuke looked up, allowing the rain to fall on his face. It wasn't coming down particularly hard, more like drizzle than rain.

"A sunshower, huh," Asuma said, admiring the light drizzle. "Even the rain can stop the sun from shining."

"How poetic," Kurenai teased. The Third Hokage's son pouted at his female companion.

"I think it's quite youthful," Gai said, at a conversational volume. Still too loud for a funeral. The two shinobi tried to hush the energetic Gai, though it turned into hush bickering about mood and respect.

Kakashi sighed and walked over to the group, silencing them all by revealing his Sharingan. Hiruzen polled his hat lower over his eyes, feeling every bit as old as he was. There any respect the youngsters might have for the three adults getting death glares from their junior.

The Hyugas sighed.

"So uncool," the Yamanakas and Inuzuka thought.

"Troublesome," muttered the Naras.

The Akamichis merely smiles as the anbus remained unfazed while internally groaning in embarrassment.

"Kitsune no yomeiri," Sakura muttered, "I wonder whos getting married." Stepping forward, she walked to the table, flower in hand under the shower of rain. To her, this wasn't a funeral but merely a send-off for the Uchiha clan. A farewell party as they set out to discover new lands.

Placing her flower on the table, she smiles at the assembly of the "dead." Her green eyes sparked with chakra as she stood straighter. She repeated the words she said to them the night she sent them off.

"Leave everything to me."

It was over, this chapter was finally over, and it was time to move on with the story. From this point on, it was going to be a new story. There was much to be done. The next step was graduating from the academy and becoming real shinobis. After which, all hell would break loose.

I couldn't describe the excitement rushing through me at the thought. The world before was pure boredom where I had no motivation. Here I had it all love, friendship, rivalry, and a real family, all of which I wanted to protect.

Leave it to me; I've found my thrill.

Roll credits.