FIRST ARC - Chapter 1: Fated Sinner
"Now that the Hero of Konoha, the Jinchuriki, the son of the Lord 4th is dead-" Kakashi cleared his throat, the sound echoing through the silent chamber. The air crackled with anticipation as he began to speak, his voice laden with a heavy sadness.
"I dislike to interrupt, Hokage-sama, but Naruto Uzumaki didn't just die, he was killed by Sasuke Uchiha." An Elder with dishevelled grey hair and dark brown eyes interrupted Kakashi. His words carried a poison that pierced his heart like a Kunai.
Sasuke's tired eyes roamed around the large grey-stone hall, in front of him on the elevated platform, sat Konoha's Lord 6th, Kakashi Hatake, with his advisor Shikamaru Nara sitting beside him, following various Elders and Council Members lined up around him, Sasuke didn't seem to care to notice.
Some of them were slumped with age and had glistening grey hair, matching the walls of the hall. Some had a few years left from having white hair peeking out of their mousy hair, and drooping eyes scanned on the discarded figure of Sasuke who was chained to a measly chair.
The air in the expansive council chamber crackled with tension as thick as the dust motes dancing in the pale beams of sunlight filtering through the high-arched windows.
On Sasuke's right and left, some familiar faces were solemnly flitting their gazes at his cursed chained presence or the addressing Hokage. Clan heads were all gathered, with a few exceptions.
The hushed and muffled accusations and assumptions were all too familiar, but now that he sat with his sole hand chained to the seat, his high-collared purple shirt hung loose on his gaunt frame, his spiky hair unkempt and lay limp framing either side of his face with longer hair while the curtains of bang hid his Rinnegan; nothing wasfamiliar, he never was interrogated before, he never was chained by Konoha before, because Naruto never let anything happen to him.
But now Naruto wasgone. The empty Uzumaki seat, lacking the presence of a bright and boisterous sun of Konoha, gnawed at Sasuke's tortured soul.
And in his absence, Sasuke was truly alone; an utterly devastated entity, roaming in the universe which was never meant for him. Existing in a wasteland created by his own sins.
Even though only his hand was chained down, Sasuke felt that his entire being was being choked; life was slowly and gradually being put off, the weight of his sins crushed him from above while the chains forged by his guilt kept his feet immobile on the ground.
Ignoring the rude interruption, Kakashi continued when a heavy silence descended, broken only by the rasp of a parchment scroll unfurling in the dry hands of Kakashi. "As I was addressing, the demise of Naruto Uzumaki is a devastating blow to our Village and our hearts. I'd like to first call for his peaceful passing to the other side, May Kami ease his journey to the afterlife, if there is any." Kakashi added. A flicker of something akin to pity crossed Kakashi's gaze as it met Sasuke's.
The chains binding his lone hand rattled faintly as he straightened his posture in a subconscious display of weakness. Thankfully, the chakra-woven blindfold that had obscured his vision on the precise order of Council, had been removed before the start of the meeting due to Kakashi's commands, now hanging limply around his neck. The forbidden power of the Rinnegan pulsed beneath the stark white light, a glowing glint in the depths of his onyx eyes.
Kakashi scanned the room, beginning his address once more, Sasuke heaved a sigh, "We are gathered here today – esteemed clan heads and the Heirs, revered council members, and those named within Naruto Uzumaki's final will. Before we proceed, I must remind you all, that whatever will be discussed here will not leave this room."
Kakashi gestured to the rectangular scrolls laid out in front of every member, "A single drop of your blood upon these scrolls will bind you to absolute silence. Betrayal of this oath will be recognized by the scrolls and will be harshly punished. Not only by the Jutsu woven into the parchment but by my ANBU operatives here, bound by their own blood vows as well."
Blood-Oath?Kakashi was going to piss off everyone, Sasuke knew. His hand instinctively twitched against the chakra-suppressing handcuff, then he avoided eye contact with the assembled crowd.
Each notable Clan was there, the audience to hisyet anothermisfortune.
Akimichi with Choza and Choji as the Heir sat resolute, Shikamaru stood tall while representing the Nara and being with the Hokage himself, his brows furrowed mirroring the worries etched on Hokage's masked face. Aburame with Shibi as the head & Shino as the Heirs remained focused and quiet.
Ino with her empty blue eyes, eyeing the scroll in front of her with nothing but disdain and a visible sneer as she represented Yamanaka being their head. Tsume Inuzuka with Kiba Inuzuka, seemed on the edge, throwing a pinned and feral look at him which they retreated once Sasuke's eyes caught them but the simmering barely contained rage in their demeanour was charging the air.
Hiashi Hyuga sat ramrod straight, a pillar of stoicism. Hanabi, his heiress, was a different story. Her eyes, usually cool and assessing like her father's, darted across Sasuke's form, like a predator searching for a wound from his vilest sin – of killing Naruto. But as Sasuke caught those all-seeing eyes of hers, her gazes flickered away and snagged towards the elevated platform, towards their Hokage.
Behind the assembled clans, two figures sat hunched on a creaking wooden bench. Sakura's eyes were focused on her lap, fidgeting with the glove of one of her hands. Occasional sobs wracked her body, which made Sasuke's chest tighten.
What does she think of me now?He wondered, now that he had killed Naruto, the binding force of Team 7, how the girl who had loved him since she was eight was feeling. He wondered. And remained afraid of the answer.
However, one pair of eyes were bravely set on his, unafraid of the black of his eye which could bleed red in a matter of seconds and the glowing purple of his other eye which could erase the very existence of the one holding his stare.Hinata.Naruto's girlfriend, the mother of his child.
Sasuke gulped as the empty canvas-like eyes bore into him, her lips pursed into thin line, forehead clear of any frown lines, the pale of her face devoid of any colour, the eyes were the only aspect of her face which looked alive yet somehow dead, at the same time. Sasuke flinched under their scrutiny; the chill danced up his skin as her hollow eyes mirrored the vacant void set in his chest.
Sasuke's stare wavered and he tore his eyes. Away from the accusations pooling into her dead eyes. Away from the hatred dancing in her alive eyes. Away from the angelic white of her gaze which could drown the devilish black of his.
The tense silence shattered as one of the Elders boomed his disapproval. His voice, usually a deep and invigorating rumble, now crackled with barely contained fury. "Hokage-sama, we never anticipated the return of such a vile jutsu from the Second Hokage's era. A shinobi is not a tool to be controlled! These blood oath scrolls make a mockery of our honour, leaving us feeling… invalidated!
Kakashi's patience was wearing thin as his masked face twitched, Sasuke could read that, "Kiyoko-san, I understand your concerns. However, this is not about treating shinobi as tools. This is about protecting the truth, the raw and unfiltered truth. Who knows what secrets might spill outside these walls, further fanning the flames of discrimination against the Uchiha name? We, the village and the council, have made such mistakes in the past. I will not allow history to repeat itself."
Sasuke let out a ragged sigh at the mention of Konoha's crimes against his clan.
Sasuke winced as the Elder of an extinct Shinji Clan spoke up. His voice, usually a smooth baritone, now had a grating edge, "Is it solely because of your loyalty to the Village or perhaps a misplaced sentiment for your student, the one you considered your prodigy?"
Kakashi straightened in his chair, the slump in his shoulders vanishing. The familiar aura of command settled around him, his single visible eye flashing with icy authority. "We will confine ourselves to facts in this meeting," he declared, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Personal attacks, be they against the accused or the... executioner, will not be tolerated."
"My sincerest apologies, Hokage-sama," Shinji bowed his head, his raven hair cascading around his face like a curtain, hiding a visible smirk that Sasuke's sharp eyes definitely caught.
"Now," Kakashi continued, his voice regaining its former composure, "our primary objective for this gathering is to discuss Sasuke Uchiha's involvement in the demise of Naruto Uzumaki. They were both assigned an S-class mission – to locate and neutralise the entity known as Isshiki Otsutsuki, leader of a society called Kara, which Sasuke Uchiha encountered during a previous mission."
A low murmur rippled through the chamber as the name "Otsutsuki" was uttered. The next words tumbling out of Kakashi punctuated the room with a hollow silence, "But prior to this, I would like to highlight the contents of Naruto Uzumaki's will."
His will?Why did he even prepare his will at the age of 19? Sasuke's mind befuddled.
Sasuke wished he could tune out, he prayed for any God of the world to swallow his presence as well before he had to experience the finality of Naruto's loss.First Itachi, then Naruto.Sasuke eyes dipped to his sole hand, grappled by chains, even though pale, he could see the crimson on his pale skin.The blood of his brothers.The pressure of his sins crashed down on him like a suffocating shroud.
His eyes started to burn, as the realisation of his actions started to kick in his chest. A metallic tang of blood coated his tongue. Shame flooded his veins.
Kakashi held aloft a pristine white scroll, its edges crisp and new, his voice continued with a subtle tremor, "Naruto left all of his belongings' possession and ownership to Hinata Hyuga and their son Haruto, as well as Sasuke Uchiha."
Kakashi's words, each one a hammer blow, struck Sasuke to his core.Why?He mentally asked Naruto, wishing that he could hear him and answer.
I didn't deserve anything from you.He voiced out his own thoughts in a mumble. Sasuke didn't dare to direct his wavering moist gaze to the lingering white eyes that stung him with ice-cold focus.
Kakashi continued his voice a monotone in an attempt to quell the rising tide of murmurs. "The division of his estate is equal, to ensure clarity. The house Naruto resided in will be jointly owned by Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha. Both will have an equal claim to the property."
The world around Sasuke dissolved into a cacophony of muted protests. The only sound that registered was the tempestuous storm raging within him – a relentless torrent of guilt and regret threatening to drown him whole.
"Beyond his personal belongings," Kakashi continued, his voice a low rumble, "Naruto designated the proceeds and possessions he inherited from Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, to be split equally among Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake, Teuchi of Ichiraku Ramen, and Iruka Umino. Notably, the ongoing royalties generated by Jiraiya's literary works will be shared amongst the mentioned members on equal divisions, while ownership of his unfinished drafts and published books remains with Kakashi Hatake."
That unexpected generosity, reaching beyond the grave, served as another stark reminder of the friend he'd failed, Sasuke wanted his palm to lighten up and shove itself into his chest. The warring emotions gutted him, scarring him and rightly so,for he deserved every torture.
"Additionally," Kakashi continued, his voice regaining a semblance of control, "Naruto has left behind letters addressed to Hinata Hyuga, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Iruka Umino, Gaara of the Sand, and Sai. These will be distributed to the present members following this meeting. For those unavailable, such as Iruka Umino, Teuchi, and Gaara, the Kazekage, they will be informed of their inheritance and given their respective letters upon the conclusion of this assembly."
"Will the killer of Naruto Uzumaki be allowed to inherit a portion of his wealth?" An Elder raised a valid question, which instead of irking Sasuke, caused a gaping hole in his already fractured heart, signifying the void of the loss.
"As mentioned before," Kakashi gritted his teeth, tired of the constant involvement of the Elders who were hell-bent on discarding Sasuke, "The matters of Sasuke's involvement in the demise of Naruto Uzumaki will be discussed. It has not been discussed yet; thus, we can not make any pronouncements on that matter."
"We shall begin the confrontation then," the bright green eyes sparkled with twisted emotions at Sasuke.Fuck the Konoha Council. A primal scream of frustration rose in his throat, a desperate urge to lash out at their hypocrisy. He wanted to blurt it out, but his tongue was held back, for he was truly the sinner on the row, he had no right to defend himself.
He was the sinner here, stripped bare and exposed. Sasuke reminded himself to contain his fury at the Council's hostility.
But Naruto would have wanted Sasuketo continue, to not give up, to not wallow in pity – to live.
Can I live? Do I deserve to live?Sasuke wondered, knowing that his dead best friend and he himself had answers which were poles apart. The tug-of-war of Naruto's beliefs and hope for him battling against Sasuke's own guilt and pressing regrets; the push and pull echoed in his puzzled mind.
Kakashi urged Sasuke, "Sasuke Uchiha, I as the Hokage, bear the right to know the details of the S-class mission against Kara and Isshiki Ōtsutsuki and by my authority, I allow you to report the mission here."
Sasuke had already vomited out the worst day of his life to Kakashi, the thought of repeating the agony in words yet again felt incredibly daunting, his eyes drooped and his breath faltered.I don't want to remember again.He wept inside. The dread etched into his soul, bone-deep agony was awakened at the thought of vocalising that horrific day again.
"My long quest to find any trace of Ōtsutsuki led me to the discovery of a secret society named Kara, run by Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. However, months of looking for him were in vain. A month ago, Kaka...Hokage-sama assigned me and Naruto with a mission to take down that society and their leader. We accepted and the next day, we...we began our journey to Amegakure." His voice scraped against the tense silence of the chamber.
Sasuke looked around, noticing that every pair of eyes were on him. Even the ever-stoic Shikamaru seemed to hang on his every word. And Sakura, who regarded him with unreadable strangeness which caused him to pick his next words with care. The air simmered with suspicion and anticipation.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Sasuke plunged back into the harrowing memories. "We came across a boy named Kawaki, who was apparently the perfect vessel for Ishikki. Naruto kept Kawaki safe, and I was the one always scouting our surroundings for any presence. One day, when I returned to our designated meeting point, Naruto and Kawaki both were not there and I had no message from Naruto...apparently, Ishikki had trapped them in one of his dimensions, which I could travel to, and I did."
Kakashi began to add, putting a halt to Sasuke's report, which gave a minute to Sasuke to gather himself, "I should add here that Kawaki was escaping the facility of Kara, where orphans like him were experimented on to become the vessel. Upon learning of the Five Nations' collaborative orphan protection program, he was willing to escape to either Suna or Konoha. Currently, the boy is in Suna."
"He should be here, present to corroborate your story," Hiashi Hyuga remarked, earning a couple of nods from the Councilmen and other Clan heads.
Kakashi leaned back into his tall chair, "Since Sasuke Uchiha has already reported to me, I had already connected to Gaara, the Kazekage to have Kawaki share his written report to me. Sparing a traumatized child the ordeal of reliving this tragedy here, where the hero of the village died protecting him. Things could go south, I meant to avoid it. Gaara has sent a detailed report that corroborates Sasuke's narrative, a report I intend to share with all of you. Copies will be distributed before any judgments are passed."
Kakashi's statement led to silence, Sasuke took that as a cue to continue.
His voice started to break, the usual lilt of arrogance shed from his tone, instead his tone began to sound as if he had a hard time breathing,which surely was the case.
"We were no match for Ishikki, he was beyond us," the ultimate truth was confessed, which left various people around him to gasp in horror, gape at him with suspicion and disregard his statement as a desperate ploy of Sasuke to bargain for his life.
One of the Councilmen added, "Impossible! You and Naruto defeated Kaguya."
Sasuke shook his head, his ears ringing with the familiar noise,the blur of his own speed, the earth-shattering impact of Naruto's attacks, the sizzling crackle of his Chidori, the rhythmic whoosh of a Rasengan.
"Ishikki transcended Kaguya."
"If you think you can bargain for your life-" The elder with green eyes dared to accuse Sasuke as he snarled, his words dripping with accusations.
"You were not there!" A guttural growl ripped from Sasuke's throat, his voice shaking the very foundations of the chamber. The ANBU guards tensed, hands hovering near their weapons, ready to restrain him at the slightest provocation.
A nearby elder placed a calming hand on the green-eyed one's shoulder, his voice measured, "You and Naruto Uzumaki are practically Gods of the shinobi world, don't mind us, Sasuke-san if we are quick to dismiss your statement."
"Ishikki could absorb Ninjutsu. Nothing Naruto or I threw at him… nothing even grazed him. He possessed a Dojutsu unlike any we'd ever encountered – not Sharingan, not Rinnegan, not Byakugan. He could shrink anything, at will and keep it in his pocket dimension, and then… then…" Sasuke for the first time in a decade, choked back on a sob in front of an audience.
He swallowed the lump lodged in his throat, "My Indra Arrow and Naruto's Odama Rasengan with Kurama; our strongest attacks were even absorbed by him!" Sasuke exclaimed, in anger and frustration as the flashbacks of that day swirled in his mind.
He cried out in horror, his head bowed, his frame shaking, "He...he...is the reason, he is the reason of yet another sin I committed!"
"Sasuke..." Kakashi's voice called out for him.
.
.
Naruto yelled, "Sasuke!" His voice was hoarse.
Ishikki, a blur of inhuman speed, rained down blow after blow, each one leaving Sasuke crumpled like a discarded ragdoll. Seeing Sasuke being thrashed caused terror for Naruto.
"Sasuke!" He launched himself at Ishikki, a blur of golden chakra crackling around him like crackling lightning. But the Otsutsuki warrior remained unfazed. With a flick of his wrist, he sent his razor-sharp chakra rods lancing through Naruto's gleaming defence, piercing his flesh with a sickening thud.
Naruto's body seized, a guttural gasp escaping his lips. His eyes bulged in a mixture of agony and disbelief as he stared down at the rods protruding from his abdomen.
Sasuke, his face pressed into the dusty ground, could only manage a weak, choked whisper, "Naruto..." The sound was lost in the din of battle, unheard by his fallen friend.
Ishikki dropped his giant cubes over Naruto, stacking over him with a bone-jarring thud. The image of his best friend being buried beneath the crushing weight – like an ant under the uncaring foot of a giant – ignited a white-hot rage within Sasuke's broken and battered body.
He yelled and Rinnegan-swapped himself with the boulder behind Ishikki, with the newfound courage of a dying man, unsheathed his sword to strike the Pale figure who hadn't even dropped a streak of sweat against him and his best friend. He was unnervingly composed and that terrorized the Gods of the Shinobi world.
.
.
The flashback of his failure ached in his vision, his mind was sore as he recounted that day, he could still feel the hits marring his entity and the distress in Naruto's voice as he called out for him. The same desperate fear yet again clawed at him, his entire being throbbed under the onslaught of the memory of that day's horror replayed.
"Sasuke?" Kakashi stood up from the chair, his hands slammed on the table in front of him as he leaned down to look at Sasuke's slumped form.
Sasuke realised that he was in reality – a brutal reality. His mind seemed to gather a stroke of pounding push, that geared him to look up at the anticipating eyes of his Hokage, his sensei, probably the only figure in the world who could truly understand the extent of anguish that was festering inside Sasuke.Now that Naruto wasn't there.
His lips, parched and cracked from the reliving of his torment, trembled as he attempted to speak. His shirt, was drenched in patches of sweat despite the cool air swirling from the arched windows. A bead of sweat, glistening under the harsh overhead lights, traced a slow path down his forehead. It pooled at the tip of his nose before finally dripping onto his dark lap, leaving a damp stain.
"Naruto was compromised by Ishikki, I… I engaged Ishikki in combat," he continued, his voice a mere whisper, "but it was a futile effort. He outmatched us both. His sole objective was to capture Kawaki. It seemed he couldn't sustain his true form for long. But then… Naruto...emerged, his strength was unmatched, apparently his form was of true raw power, surpassing our Sage of Six Path Forms. Ishikki was caught off guard and Naruto kept on beating him...there was hope. But the hope...was short-lived, as the form in which Naruto had transformed into, was not sustainable."
Sasuke took a breather, as another flashback warped his reality making him writhe in his chair.
.
.
"Naruto! What was it!" Sasuke fell beside Naruto, on the crated-like ground of Ishikki's dimension. Naruto was drowsy, the orange chakra around him dimmed and eventually snuffed. On Sasuke's lap, Naruto's head laid, "Naruto!" Sasuke curtly yelled.
"Sasuke..."
Sasuke sighed in relief, to see his blue eyes meet his. However, the strength which was emitted out of him moments ago was gone, his blue bright eyes were empty and... teary.
"Kurama...is gone." Grief dripped words of Naruto.
"What?" The word escaped Sasuke in a choked gasp. The revelation slammed into him with the force of a meteor, momentarily eclipsing the looming threat of Ishikki's approaching figure.
Naruto scrambled off Sasuke's lap, looking back at seemingly protected Kawaki, he began, "All that surge of power I had, it was the ultimate mode of Kurama and I. I thought it was my life at stake, but it was...his."
"How do...we kill this thing then?" Sasuke knew the loss of Kurama was a deep wound for Naruto, but the approaching figure of Ishikki urged him to re-evaluate his priorities.
The yellow-black-haired kid added, "He won't survive without his Kama on his vessel, his life force is draining, you both have to ensure that he fights till he has none of it."
Sasuke stood up from the ground, stance ready to give his best shot, he extended his hand to Naruto, "Let's fight, till the end, Naruto!"
Despite the tears in his eyes, a weak smile danced on his lips as he took Sasuke's hand and got himself off the ground to have a war of his life. Sasuke glanced at Naruto eyeing Ishikki in disdain, Kurama was his life-long companion, and the agony of his loss was fresh on his best friend's battered form.
.
.
Another councilman butted in, not knowing the extent of the severity of what was roiling within Sasuke, "With your history as the Avenger and your quest of revenge against the leaf, and not to forget all the times where you have shown your intention to end Naruto Uzumaki, how can we believe that you didn't undermine your strengths by choice-"
It was his last straw. He couldn't take it anymore.
Sasuke thrashed his hand on the armrest with a violent jerk, the cuffs were a nuisance and groaned in protest, he wanted to get up the stage and ruin the Elder who had such a privileged life that he couldn't fathom the severity of an opponent who surpassed Naruto and Sasuke combined.
"By choice? I would by choice get my pride trampled on by an entity like Ishikki? Are you a fool? I am a Uchiha! We don't cut corners even in our hatred, we don't manipulate! If we want to attack, we attack!"
"Calm down," Kakashi glared and seethed, his growl cutting through Sasuke.
But Sasuke's rage only intensified. Instead of calming, he slammed his fist against the armrest with a bone-jarring crack. The wood splintered beneath the force, the broken armrest dangling from his wrist like a grotesque trophy. He surged to his feet, a dark storm cloud gathering around his imposing figure. The ANBU guards, their movements a blur, materialised behind him, hands outstretched in a futile attempt to restrain him.
"Naruto lost Kurama! Do you get it? Kurama died. Naruto's baryon mode took a toll and killed even a being like Kurama. The opponent was that strong and you all, measly shinobi think that sitting here, you can make decisions about me and fathom the loss of Naruto? You can't! I had seen the life in him die piece by piece as without Kurama, he fought with reduced strength. I saw him die and fade, even before my Chidori pierced his chest! And you think...that torture, I'd choose by choice?"
ANBU members' futile grasp on his back held him away from the platform where those sickly Elders sat and recoiled under his stormy gaze, "You think I'd choose to let theonlyhuman who truly understood me die? Do you know me? Do you know Naruto? Do you know us?"
"Our plan was to drain Ishikki of his life force by delaying him from having his Kama transferred to Kawaki. I had a Kirin release of mine attack him; Naruto countered him with clones, each of them being shrunken and Kirin ended up being absorbed by him. We focused on engaging him through Taijutsu only. But...once we both faced him in close contact, from either side of him, we endured our draining chakra to just strike him, non-stop. Naruto was tiring faster than I did, the lack of Kurama was taking a toll on his strength." Sasuke had everyone on the edge, some biting their nails like Ino, while some were shedding tears like Sakura but there wasn't anyone who looked at him as if to not listen.
Exceptone.
The pale-eyed Hyuga with long Indigo hair was staring at him as if helied. As if he was thereasonfor Naruto's doom, no matter what reasonable explanation he was spewing.I was his doom.He agreed with the way her eyes bore hatred for him, with no mercy and no remorse. Her eyes were on him, but he felt like...her entire chakra-laden body was on him, because of the dire weight of her dead gaze.
It was a silent accusation, a condemnation that felt heavier than any punishment the council could levy.
His rage sputtered and quelled as she kept her cold eyes on him.
He slumped on the floor, on his knees, eyes shut and lips parted.Defeated.
He couldn'tbreathe.
He couldn'tlive.
"Sasuke-kun," a shriek from his teammate.
"Sasuke!" A pounding call from his sensei.
"Sasuke..." The dying word of his best friend. His last call for Sasuke.
All rang in his ear. Dampening the roar of his own grief.
All of them called out to him, trying to reach him.
But he was far gone.
He was no more.
Sasuke was no more.
In his mind's eye, he saw not the imposing council chamber, but a desolate graveyard. He stood between two freshly turned mounds of earth, the weight of his responsibility crushing him. There, beneath the cold embrace of the earth, layItachi, his brother, his tormentor, andNaruto, his comrade, his friend, his brother.
A violent tremor racked his body, a silent scream trapped within his shattered soul.
His body was wracked with continuous shivers as he crouched on the floor, throwing his head on the floor as if he was bowing to the council and Hokage sitting on the elevated platform. But he was simply bowing to death, wishing that the reaper would take him too and bury him between his two brothers.
For he had nothing to do anymore, aside from dying. Only an oblivion awaited him.
"Sasuke..." Naruto's last breath.
Sasuke's eyes shot wide open. He picked up his head from the cold ground, haze loomed in his stare as he mustered up the courage to continue.
"We attacked from both sides," he rasped, his voice gaining strength with each word. "Non-stop. Kirin, clones, Almighty Push and Pull, everything we had in our arsenal. Fireball Jutsu, Amaterasu – we threw it all at him."
Recounting the end, Sasuke straightened up, his shoulders bore the weight of what came after, "As his life force was depleting, he was getting more and more impatient, we surged with our combination Jutsu of Amaterasu Blaze Release with Naruto's Rasenshuriken and it became harder for him to absorb or shrink our attacks, lastly...he prepared his Rasengan and I prepared my Amaterasu Chidori...we ran to cage him with both of our attacks but even with the last ounces of life-force, he shrank himself and chased Kawaki..."
.
"Let's go, Sasuke...let's put him in his grave," Naruto shouted as he stood, a swirling orb of blue and white chakra – crackling with raw power in his hand, as big as he could with the amount of his own Chakra instead of Kurama's assistance. Ishikki was beaten and stomped, between them as Naruto was on his right and Sasuke to his left.
Sasuke's palm glowed blue and black, the lightning streaks causing a shrill sound of a thousand chirping birds, the black of his blaze release intertwining with each stream of his lightning bunching up on his fist. Sasuke carried his blazed Chidori and dashed forward towards Ishikki who battered and bruised from their relentless assault, stood between them, while Naruto lunged with a ball of fury from the left.
Naruto came at him like a powerful comet, Sasuke arrived like a raging storm.
Ishikki's last remaining life force allowed him to shrink himself, only when Sasuke and Naruto were a second away, as the figure between the two best friends vanished, their hits landed on them with a loud thrash and black and blue explosion.
Their attacks collided in a deafening detonation, a black and violet explosion that ripped through the air. The shockwave flattened the already ravaged ground, sending plumes of dust skyward. As the smoke slowly cleared, Sasuke found himself enveloped in the ethereal purple glow of his Susanoo's ribs, a protective cage that had shielded him from the brunt of the blast. He released a ragged breath, the tension draining from his body in a wave of relief.
But the relief was short-lived. His red eye darted to the figure sprawled on the storm-battered ground. Another crater marred the landscape, a testament to the immense power unleashed moments ago. Debris rained down from the swirling vortex above, obscuring the figure momentarily. But a flicker of orange caught Sasuke's eye.
Sasuke stepped out of Susanoo and ran ahead with long strides, wishing that whatever he was seeing was nothing but an illusion.
As he neared the figure, a strangled gasp escaped his lips. He fell to his knees beside Naruto, the sight that greeted him stealing the air from his lungs. Naruto lay motionless, his normally vibrant orange jumpsuit ripped and bloodied.
The chilling blue of his eyes, once sparkling with life and determination, was dimming, the light fading with each passing heartbeat.
He held his arm, dragging him to his lap, the light of Naruto's eyes was about to dull and vanish. The gaping hole on his chest, staring back at Sasuke as his hand that held Naruto's face trembled.
"No!" he roared at the boy who was losing his life in his arm, in just a few seconds.
"T-take c-care o-of my f-fam...f-family," Naruto croaked out, whatever remaining energy of Kurama was inside him, fueled him to let out his final fated wish.
"No! You are not leaving me!" Sasuke gritted his teeth.
"Sasuke..." Naruto breathed his final word, his dying wish, his fated desire. His silent apology for a fate they couldn't escape.
"No...NO!" Sasuke shook his body, "Naruto!" He called out for him, in a way that he never called out for him ever, "NO! Wake up, dobe! Wake the fuck up!" Sasuke's hand hovered over the hole, caused by Chidori. His eyes stung, he believed they bled, but the moistness on his face wasn't sticky, the wetness was just flowing down, hot and stinging.
Sasuke was weeping.
"Naruto..." he cried out. Hoping that Naruto heard, wherever he was and came back. His fate was forever altered, the world shifted its course, as the sun died and only the moon remained.
Sasuke lost his brother, yet again, by his own freaking hand, yet again.
.
"My Chidori pierced him...My Susano shielded me from his Rasengan." Sasuke announced, with a sense of finality that put the world in chaos as everyone who heard him, went silent in their own way.
Kakashi raggedly huffed and frowned, such aloudsilence.
Elders had their brains kicked out and their voices snatched. Their faces were ashen and aged a decade more in just a few minutes. Such agrippingsilence.
Shikamaru's eyes widened, his stance upright, such anactivesilence.
Kiba's head slammed on the table with a dull thump, such ashowysilence.
Ino's hands covered her ears, such asheersilence.
Choji's choked gasp, such afaintsilence.
Shino's attention wandered from the bunch of bugs on the table, suchquietsilence.
Sakura...Sakura's sobs started to choke the air out of her throat, raw and primal sobs that ripped the air, such abrutalsilence.
Hinata...her eyes for the first time in an hour, averted from his frame and squeezed shut as she gulped and her entity looked drawn, such afatedsilence.
Everything wassilent. The chime and ticking of the clock were unheard, the rustle of papers on the table was ignored, the echoing steps of ANBU around them were muted, and the thumping heart of Sasuke was gratingly loud and hence had to be drowned out, to assimilate with the silence that befell the room as the final arc of the chaos was narrated. Each sound faded.
The aftermath began now!
Sasuke, the Mighty Shinobi, crumbled and crumpled on the ground. As he looked on and on. The faces of people around him were solemn because the reality finally set in.
Naruto Uzumaki was gone, dead and never coming back. He was silenced forever.
And Sasuke's hand carried his blood.
Kakashi cleared his throat as if sensing the need to pierce to stillness, lifting up the cloak of silence and trepidation. "The mentioned kid, Kawaki, had sent the report depicting the events exactly as this." Kakashi looked to his left, pointing at the ANBU to distribute the copies of Kawaki's report which he extended to the Fox mask ANBU. "The reports are on your tables now; you can go through this. I already have my decision regarding this."
"You mean your decision to favour the Uchiha?" Another Elder spoke up with his brittle voice, slamming the copy of the report on the table, "This clearly shows that the Uchiha is a ticking time bomb."
"My decision shouldn't be questioned, for I am the Hokage, the only reason I decided to hold this meeting was to quell the misunderstanding brewing in the council regarding Sasuke. I wanted the death of Naruto to not be in vain because of the risingassumptions.I wanted us to consider facts so we could move past this loss," Kakashi finished speaking.
Sasuke's eyes shot a thrilling anger-filled gaze at him,moving past Naruto's loss? What the hell is Kakashi saying? How can anyone let go of Naruto?Sasuke mentally snickered as well at his thoughts for he knew two years ago, he was dying to cut down Naruto, to sever his one true bond.
And now that he did.
Nothing ever felt emptier like that to him before. Sasuke feltabandoned.
Naruto took away the world with himself. The light went away with him.
Selfish Dobe! Sasuke thought and thought.
"You believe that it was a mistake?" Hiashi questioned Kakashi.
Kakashi composed himself for the onslaught, "Since when are my personal opinions required? On the basis of the presented facts and Kawaki's report, I have to believe that there was nomurderor manipulated attack*by Sasuke Uchiha towards Naruto. Unfortunate circumstances led to his demise, and to much of my dismay, the hands of Sasuke were dirtied, despite his intentions."
Choza Akimichi stroked his beard thoughtfully. "While I understand the need for this investigation," he began, his voice a low rumble, "if you were already aware of the details, Hokage-sama, why convene this council?"
A flicker of weariness eased into Kakashi's dark eyes, the corners crinkling slightly as he offered a tight smile. "The autopsy report and the presence of Chidori residue raised doubts within the council," he explained. "They intended to make their suspicions public, a move that could have jeopardised the village's stability. To maintain peace, I intervened. Esteemed families, such as yourselves, were invited to be privy to the full account to quell any potential unrest. I require your support as I make my final judgement." With a subtle bow of his head, Kakashi acknowledged the presence of the clan heads.
"Let us know your decision, Hokage-sama," Ino's cracked voice was almost audible.
Kakashi took a deep breath. "I will not be pressing charges against Sasuke Uchiha. The circumstances surrounding this tragedy were undeniably cruel, robbing us of one hero. The last thing we need is to lose another to unfounded accusations and despair."
A harsh, grating chuckle erupted from one of the councilmen. "Hokage-sama! Your blatant bias towards your former student is clouding your judgment! His actions resulted in the death of our potential future Hokage!"
Kakashi almost snapped, "Your discrimination against a pardoned figure is clouding your judgements, Mahito-san. my decision is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the entire battle, a battle in which Naruto Uzumaki died a hero's death ."
"I am willing to take any punishment as I am ready to bear the responsibility of...killing Naruto," Sasuke's answer halted whatever protests were about to be voiced out.
"So, you plead guilty?" A raven-haired elder queried.
"Yes," Sasuke nodded.
Hokage Kakashialmostgroaned, "My decision is that you are not guilty, Sasuke Uchiha."
"It was a mistake. An unfortunate mishap. But...It was my attack that took away his breath," Sasuke argued, his eyebrows furrowed, jaw clenched. Sasuke was himself a nineteen-year-old boy, but the lines of his forehead hinted at a turmoil of a century, that he had to endure all his life. Andeven more.
Kakashi rose from his chair with a sigh, the creak of its aged hinges echoing in the tense silence, he towered over Sasuke from the height of the platform. "Decisions can't be made solely due to your personal guilt."
He stated, his voice firm yet laced with compassion. "I understand the pain of losing a comrade...abrother. But let me be clear: you, Sasuke Uchiha, did not kill Naruto Uzumaki. It was a battlefield strategy gone disastrously wrong, a situation where both of you were outsmarted and overpowered."
Sasuke denied any benevolence, "I-"
Before Sasuke could urge to be dead as a matter of an eye for an eye, Hiashi stepped in, "A man who swore vengeance upon Konoha, a man who stained his hands with countless lives, who dared attack the Kage Summit, who trained under the shadow of Orochimaru and ended his life as well – a man who turned against his own team, who clashed with Naruto Uzumaki on countless occasions with the intent to kill, a man who murdered his own brother, Hokage-sama, with all due respect, I implore you to show no leniency towards such a man."
Sasuke absorbed each blow, the truth of Hiashi's words stinging but incomplete.
He had sworn against Konoha, yes, but only because the village had failed to protect his family, his clan. The Kage Summit wasn't an act of malice, but a desperate attempt to expose the true evil festering within Konoha–Danzo. Orochimaru's tutelage was a consequence of Itachi's desire for Sasuke to acquire power, a power no one in Konoha could offer to a broken mind like his. And Orochimaru's demise...well, perhaps the reasons were self-evident to anyone but the prejudiced council members.
The rest of what he had said was the truth that held him captive in guilt.
His intention and actions to murder Kakashi, Sakura and Naruto were immense in the past. And with Kakashi and Sakura, he could even be successful. But Naruto...I never really meant to kill him.Naruto was the one bond, which was unable to be broken.
Even when Sasuke moved with the intention to kill, his body had a mind of its own where it preferred to take Naruto's hits more than to land a hit on him. His subconscious rebelled against the conscious desire to end his friend's life.
And Itachi...Yes, he killed him, but...only because he wanted to be killed, he wanted Sasuke to be the hero, even if it wasn't his fate. His brother pushed him towards a future, which was based on an empty present. He killed Itachi because he didn't know the ugliness of Konoha.
Sasuke was to be blamed for his past, but his actions of hate and fury always carried a meaning and a purpose.
But the way Hiashi recounted his sins, he made them feel like evil sins, not the broken and fated attempts at finding some semblance. Not the ones with contexts to back them, Hiashi made Sasuke feel like the monster.
Maybe, I am!Such thoughts stopped Sasuke from countering Hiashi.
Kakashi descended from the dais, his movements measured and deliberate. He stopped beside Sasuke, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, a silent show of support. Sasuke scrambled off the floor, stood opposite Kakashi.
Kakashi addressed the audience, "If Sasuke was as unnecessary to Naruto as he is for you, perhaps, I would have had a different verdict. But to see that Naruto left his wealth, his house and his letter to Sasuke, it shows that their brotherhood surpassed the past and focused on building a future. I would suggest you move on from the past too. Your daughter, Hinata Hyuga can also attest that Sasuke Uchiha was named as the Godfather for Haruto...which also highlights the extent of trust shared between the two."
Sasuke remained silent; his gaze cast downward.
Hiashi added with an icy finality, "I would support your judgements, Hokage-same. However, one more request which is in my mind since the start of this meeting, for the decorum of the meeting, I didn't express. Hinata, as you know, is no longer a Hyuga. Her bearing a child outside of wedlock violates our clan's most sacred tenets. Such a woman no longer deserves the Hyuga name. Officially, her status as a clanswoman has been revoked."
Sasuke's eyes widened; his stare flitted to the back where Hinata's small frame was beside Sakura. Her eyes were still closed as if she was dreaming a dream which could shake the world. Her head tilted back on the concrete wall behind her and her chest heaved up and down. He yearned to see her eyes, to see the dead reaction to her own Father's absurdity.
Naruto's son was abandoned by all fronts with the way Hiashi had stripped not only Hinata of her heritage but also his grandson of the privilege of belonging to a respected clan.
A cold fury ignited within Sasuke, a coiling serpent awakening in the pit of his stomach. His blood ran ice-cold, and a tremor ran through his body as his chakra surged with raw, unbridled affliction. Kakashi, sensing the shift in Sasuke's demeanour, reacted with lightning speed. He sidled closer, their shoulders brushing in silent communication.
With a subtle tilt of his head, mimicking a relaxation technique, he murmured in a low voice, "Don't be hasty."
Sasuke who was consumed by the impending need to terrorise Hiashi was soon subdued.
Ignoring Hiashi's callous pronouncements for the moment, Kakashi stepped forward, his voice resonating with authority. "To ensure the utmost confidentiality," he declared, "I require all of you to sign these scrolls with a blood oath. The events transpiring within these walls must remain a closely guarded secret. To the outside world, Naruto Uzumaki perished at the hands of Isshiki Otsutsuki. He was subsequently neutralized by Kawaki's clever use of a shadow clone, and vanished from our world."
With a prick of a kunai, they sealed their fate onto the scrolls, their crimson blood glowing momentarily before being consumed by tendrils of inky black smoke. The scrolls themselves writhed and coiled, morphing into cylindrical-shaped truth holders. Meanwhile, with a practised flick of his wrist, Kakashi deactivated the chakra-suppressing cuffs binding Sasuke's wrists.
Kakashi's gaze softened as it met Sasuke's. He realised that Sasuke had cracks so deep that even Kakashi wondered how he'd save Sasuke from the turmoil that aimed at killing him.
Sasuke saw his reflection in his sensei's eyes and found his younger self – a 12-year-old Sasuke, and he realised how Kakashi was seeing him.
Kakashi was witnessing his own failure named Sasuke Uchiha.
For the first time, Sasuke's carefully constructed facade crumbled. A single, glistening tear traced a path down his cheek.
Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut, a deep sigh escaping his lips. He reached out, his hand resting gently on Sasuke's arm, a silent offering of comfort
The moment stretched on, an unspoken dialogue passing between student and teacher, a fleeting connection amidst the chaos. Vivid for Sasuke,too vivid,
"I have a revised proposition," Kakashi's voice boomed, shattering the fragile silence and drawing the attention of the remaining council members. "Sasuke Uchiha will serve a four-month penitence within the confines of the Hokage Tower cells, commencing tomorrow."
Sasuke smiled because Kakashi finally understood what he needed. Sasuke didn't need absolution. He was a man who didn't have his arm recovered as a token of remembrance of his sinful past – he needed to feel.The time to atone.
Four months seemed a pittance compared to the lifetime of penance he envisioned, but it was a start – a small offering of reprieve.
"Why the sudden change of mind, Hokage-sama?" The Inuzuka Head finally asked.
"Atonement changes people. Atonement saves people. And I intend to save a child." Kakashi's words were vague. But Sasuke was attuned to hear the unsaid.
His atonement journey was supposed to be of years, but now, he had to change its course. First, confinement. Then, perhaps, a journey into the shadows that stretched beyond Konoha's borders, a quest to hunt and eradicate evil wherever it festered.Only Kami knows, for how long.His atonement could be life-long.
Lost in contemplation, Sasuke was startled from his self-imposed reverie by the rhythmic click-clack of retreating footsteps. The elders had already vanished, and the remaining clan heads and heirs were filing out of the chamber. Only Kakashi, Shikamaru diligently collecting the signed scrolls, Sakura, and Hinata remained on the back bench.
Sakura approached him hesitantly, her eyes downcast, following the nervous tremor in her steps. As she paused before him, she lifted her head, and Sasuke saw the raw grief reflected in her vacant eyes.
His breath hitched, awaiting to face his fear of her accusations.
Her palm held his callous hand, she added, "I need time, Sasuke-kun. The loss..." her voice gave up, as a mournful shade shadowed her bright features, "The loss is unbearable right now." She didn't wait for his response, like she always used to do, instead, she turned on her heels and sped towards the door.
Sasuke was unaware of how to read that reaction. Was she also accusing him? Or did she consider himinnocent? He was left, grappling with the unknown and unsaid words by her,perhaps, Sasuke wasn't really attuned to hear the unsaid.
He feared the answer.
"Time heals, Sasuke." Kakashi beside him, squeezed his shoulder.
Sasuke let out a hollow chuckle, "It didn't heal you."
Kakashi winced inwardly. "You'll heal," he insisted, his jaw set with determination. "I'll make damn sure of it."
Sasuke shook his head, "You sounded like Naruto." A heaviness settled in his heart as he reminisced his friend's unwavering devotion towards him for years.
Kakashi muttered, "He would want you to be healed, happy and free."
Their eyes met, then flickered to the lone figure of Hinata receding towards the chamber exit. Sasuke's stare remained stuck on the small, slim and broken figure of Hinata moving ahead with her head down, long mane of indigo hair framing her small face, hiding those eyes which had haunted Sasuke during the interrogation.
Kakashi adjusted his robe with one hand and the other patted the back of Sasuke's head, his slow steps towards Hinata hinted that Kakashi meant to follow her.
Kakashi adjusted his robe with one hand, the other reaching up to pat Sasuke consolingly on the head. His slow steps towards Hinata hinted at his intention to follow. "You're free to attend Naruto's memorial service tomorrow morning," he said, his voice gentle. "Afterwards, the ANBU will escort you to your assigned cell."
Sasuke nodded, "Alright."
"Hokage-sama," Hinata's steps halted, she turned to Kakashi beside her and her white dress twirled around her knees, looking up and facing him with those unbelievably empty eyes.
"Yes, Hinata-chan?" Kakashi's tone softened.
Hinata didn't spare Sasuke a glance, although he desperately awaited the fiery accusation from the pits of her silver eyes, which he knew he deserved. Instead, she delivered a blow far more devastating, a punishment that mirrored the hollowness within him. Something even more terrible, something that was fitting to his crimes and sins. She robbed him off of any solace that he could dare to hold.
"I wouldn't allow his presence in Naruto-kun's memorial and grave, neither tomorrow nor ever." With that, she spun on her heel, her long hair rippling like a dark wave as she retreated from the chamber, leaving Kakashi speechless and Sasuke feeling utterly obliterated.
Sasuke felt like someone daggered him thousands of times and twisted and tore each string of bare hope he had there because the way his heart clenched and bled and rotted his chest...the only explanation was that he felt like he was dying. Silent condemnation from Hinata gave him a slow agonising episode right there and then.
Hinata killedhim.
Like he killed herlover.
He was a sinner, and she was the executioner assigned by fate for his demise. The true cost of his actions, finally slammed into him with a force that shattered him,completely.