I woke up to white. Everything around me was white. That was my first clue that I wasn't dreaming, since it looked like a hospital. That one clue was enough to solidify it.

As my vision began to clear up, my mind followed suit. My eyes hurt, but I couldn't fully recall why. I could vaguely remember having better sight than the one tomoe Sharingan, but it had gone away. Perhaps I unlocked the second or third tomoe from the trauma?

It was something to test out later. I just had to think. My parents were dead, that much was obvious. Everyone else was dead too. At least I never knew the other Uchiha's. My okaasan brought three guests over in all my time of living in this world. She was a social outcast for marrying my otousan.

But now my parents were dead. I gripped the sheets and tears entered my vision. I felt a small nudge to my side and the voices around me finally came into focus.

Save for my sight, I hadn't noticed my other senses were dulled. The noises all rushed in at once. The assault on my ears made me cringe.

"Uchiha-san, are you okay?"

I glanced up at the man in scrubs. He had a chiseled chin but was otherwise very plain looking. It seemed like I stared for too long as his stance shifted slightly in discomfort.

"Uchiha-san, you've been out for four days. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. May I go?"

That seemed to have taken him off guard. Perhaps he expected me to cry, ask questions, or freak out. I had to think rationally and logically now of all times.

"N-No, I'm sorry but we need you to stay here. There have been chakra inflections throughout your optical nerves that are unprecedented. You're to stay here until we can assure that you're safe. Not that I expect you to underst-"

"I understand what you mean. I will stay then. Once I'm cleared, please notify me. I'll be resting." It took more effort than I thought to speak as I realized my throat was completely dry.

He seemed to notice this and handed me a glass of water from the bedside table. I gulped it down far faster than I expected. I noticed a nurse out of the corner of my eye leaving the room. Whether to report me waking up, or fetching more water, I didn't know or care.

The man pulled up a chair next to me and began to rattle of various questions. "Do your eyes hurt?"

"They ache."

He wrote something on his clipboard. "Does anything else hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

He scribbled some more. "Do you remember what happened?"

"As clear as day," I droned. The questions were getting old. I just wanted to go home, cry, and move on. After a week I could probably focus on life again. It wasn't my first set of parents to be killed, though the bloody way it happened sure was new.

The dark humor I was attempting did nothing to settle me. If anything I hated myself for it. I loved them.

"Hokage-sama will be here soon. As the first one to awaken, he wishes to question you as well."

I nodded to him. It was difficult to keep the surprise off my face, but I managed it. It should have occured to me that I'd be questioned, especially as the only conscious person that experienced what happened. That also meant Sasuke was knocked out cold right now.

My being here meant things changed though. Perhaps more Uchiha's survived? Unlikely. The only reason I was even alive was Obito's ignorance to my presence. How my parents managed that, I may never know.

The door opened, a nurse rushing in and turning back to the door. She bowed quickly as the white robes of the most powerful man in the village entered my room.

It was strange to think that the frail old man in front of me was actually a monstrous embodiment of power and raw skill. He could kill me without a seconds thought and no one would even notice until my head hit the floor. He could probably do it without even looking like he moved, and without leaving a trace.

It was a scary thought, but honestly I felt hollow enough that I didn't care. I would live on purely because I'm selfish, and because my parents would want me to. Seven years ago I wouldn't have truly cared for those people like I did now. I thought this world could be interesting, but it gave me love and took it away. That's a special kind of hell.

"You're Akemi Uchiha I presume?" The old man had a deep voice. It was surprising considering he looked so weak in appearance.

I nodded to him, and he smiled slightly. I couldn't tell a damned thing by his posture and it was getting on my nerves. Why was he smiling?

"I just had a few questions to ask, that is all." He motioned to the doctor and nurse, both leaving a second later. The old man glided to the chair beside me and sat down with an unusual elegance and poise.

I nodded to him again and he took a small puff from his pipe.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm fine."

He carefully studied my face for a moment. "Mentally."

"I'm fine," I repeated.

He nodded to himself. I was honestly surprised that he accepted that answer so easily. He probably could read more on my face than my words could express, regardless of my stoic expression that I liked to keep up. The mask made life simpler.

"Are you willing to describe what you saw in detail?"

I turned away from him and placed my hands flat against my legs. Looking forward, I thought for a moment. Would telling him about the vortex make a difference? He wouldn't know what it was so it would only confuse him. He probably thought Itachi did it by himself.

I glanced at him. No, he'd read me like a book and know I was hiding something. TI is the last thing I needed, especially after that kind of shitty trauma.

"I woke up and nothing felt right. I made my way to the kitchen and didn't see my parents. I went to their bedroom and opened the door to see a swirling vortex shrinking out of existence in the middle of the room."

I paused, taking a small breath. Hiruzen didn't seem too intent on interrupting or asking any questions about it so I continued. "I saw a black cloak get sucked up into it as well, with a red cloud on it. I only saw it for a split second."

I lied about the last part, but I was in the midst of trauma so he might pass it off as truth due to my sincerity. I wasn't wrong, and I didn't lie about what he wore. I lied that I saw it.

"After it disappeared I saw my parents, bloodied and huddled against the wall. They were dead. My vision grew sharp, my eyes began to ache, and I fell unconscious. The last thing I remember is standing in my parents mixed pool of blood."

I turned to the old man. I kept my face as emotionless as possible. It wouldn't be a great impression to break down in front of your village leader, especially when I hated showing weakness in general. Stoicism and resting bitch face was always my super power in my last life. In this life it's even more important career wise than ever.

A ninja being serious and emotionless is one-hundred percent necessary. I had plenty of training with it since it fits my personality.

The old man nodded solemnly. "I give your parents my regards. I knew your mother, she was a strong kunoichi. If you're interested I'd love to tell you stories about her sometime."

That surprised me, and I'm pretty sure it broke through my stoic facade since he smiled at my reaction. "I'd like that," I mumbled.

His smile stayed on his face as he stood. "I'm sorry to say I didn't know your father very well, but I know he was a good man. I look forward to our interactions in the future."

He began to walk to the door, but there was something missing. Something I did that I couldn't recall.

Ah, the note.

He turned around before walking out of the room. "One last question. Why run away?"

Time for a half truth. "It was a contingency plan, it wasn't real. If I ever felt danger and I needed my parents out of the house, I'd plant the note and hide to make them leave. I planted it too late."

He stilled for a moment and for a second I felt proud that I'd taken him by surprise.

"I see. For a child to think of such a plan, and a plan that took advantage of your vulnerability..."

He turned to me for a second, a knowing look in his eye. "I expect great things from you Akemi Uchiha," he chuckled.

Even through the pain and misery I had just gone through, I couldn't help the small smile from gracing my face as he left the room. If there's anything I'd inherited from this world besides my skills, it was my pride.

Uchiha Pride is a real thing, and I have it to a lesser extent. It's less of a clan pride and more personal.

Regardless, I felt real pride for the first time in a while. I'd make my parents proud too. They'd look down on me from the stars and feel pride. I promise Okaasan, Otousan.

I'll miss you.

When the door clicked shut, in my moment of silence, I finally cried.

oOoOo

I stayed in that damned hospital for eight days. It was mostly due to my inability to stay awake. Whatever happened to my eyes had drained me.

I actually feared that I'd awoken the mangekyo. The doctors confirmed I got a second tomoe in each eye. They had an aneurysm when they realized a seven year old had the sharingan.

But two tomoe shouldn't exhaust me like that from a few seconds of use. I concluded I had the mangekyo, though I didn't intend to ever use it. I didn't have a sibling to trade eyes with and going blind would suck.

The doctors chalked up my chakra exhaustion and soreness to being too young to awaken the sharingan. They also thought I skipped the first tomoe. They were morons. I could keep my one tomoe sharingan on for quite a while, so two wouldn't chakra exhaust me so quickly. They were grasping at straws.

But in the end I finally got released. The ache had gone away four days in, but I still slept through most of that. The smell of the hospital made me nauseous from the constant exposure.

Sasuke had apparently woken up for the first time the day prior to me leaving. I didn't care all too much. He'd seek me out himself when he figured out I was the only other Uchiha left.

I suppose he was my only family left. It felt weird to consider a main character to be my family member. Seven years ago Sasuke was a douchebag on a screen. Now he's living, breathing, and my cousin.

Weird.

Anyway, he'd find me. Hell, I might even get called to the hospital. I didn't care too much though, I was going foraging.

The week of bed rest had given me my time to grieve, and I couldn't afford to waste time anymore. I loved my family but they'd want me to move on as fast as possible, no matter how much it hurt. The nightmares stayed though.

I planned on finding any scrolls, techniques, kata, and jutsu that were around the Uchiha compound. I didn't have anyone to tell me, "Don't go in there, it's not for children." Yea, well fuck you too, Kaneto. He was a dick.

Anyway, I approached the Uchiha library. I could finally go to the top floor. I would grab two fire jutsu, a wind jutsu, and the advanced Interceptor Fist katas. I finished the intermediate quite a while ago, but kenjutsu training held me off from advanced.

Ah, I'd need the intermediate kenjutsu kata as well. Perhaps there were some special taijutsu and kenjutsu techniques for me. God I loved taijutsu, it was fun, exhilarating, and punching things felt nice.

It took a while, but I ended up finding what I needed. The Pheonix Flower Jutsu seemed fun. I remember Sasuke used it once if memory served.

"Hello? Is someone there?" A tentative voice called. Young, male, and... Fuck.

I didn't respond, since he'd come into the room in a few moments. I could hear the shuffling of feet, and exhilarated breathing. He seemed so excited.

I saw the raven hair first, in it's signature duck-butt style, as coined by Naruto himself. The clean, boyish face followed. Wow, seeing him in real life was so whack.

His eyes met mine, and they widened significantly. Tears sprang in them, and I was officially weirded out. The whole massacre was supposed to make him "hate all, kill all" right? Did my presence have that much of an impact?

He ran at me, leaping through the air, and tackling me to the floor. I let him crush me in a bear hug for a moment before I gently laid my hand on his back.

"Hello, cousin," I greeted.

He jumped slightly and pulled back. "Y-You're real? They didn't lie to me?"

I nodded at him. He seemed to contemplate for a moment. It probably weirded him out at my straight face. Perhaps he thought I'd be overjoyed to see him.

He began muttering as he cried on top of me. Faint murmurs of, "I'm not alone," over and over again.

"Sasuke, could you please stand?"

The boy jerked back in surprise as a reddish hue crossed his cheeks. Ah, that was strangely adorable. He sprang to his feet and muttered some apologies, though I didn't really listen.

I began to pick up the various scrolls at my feet. It took him a moment to even notice. "What are you doing?"

I looked him in the eye. "I've had my time to grieve. I'm going to train to get stronger, so this never happens again."

Righteous fury burned in his eyes. It seems like he didn't change much after all. He had a soft side, but the canon Sasuke stayed to play.

"I'll kill him. I'll hate everyone and everything to get stronger to take him down."

That line of thought wouldn't do. "Mm, then I bid you good day."

He seemed genuinely surprised at my response. "W-What?"

"If you hate everyone, then you hate me. I have no reason to stay in the presence of someone that hates me."

This seemed to throw him for a loop as he opened his mouth only to close it again.

I turned to him and let my mask drop. I gave him an earnest, solemn look. It was truly how I felt, and it felt nice to let it loose. This took him further by surprise, my demeanor being new to him.

"Listen Sasuke, I'm seven just like you. We both went through a lot just over a week ago. That's no excuse for that kind of vow."

"But... I need to get stronger! Hate can fuel me to-"

"That's idiotic and foolish," I glared at him. "I am getting stronger with the goal to protect my precious people. I don't have any yet, but I'll be strong enough to protect them once I do!"

I yelled a bit, and I felt bad about it. I don't think I'd ever yelled before. It was odd to feel my vocal chords move in that manner when I usually spoke calmly and at a reasonable volume.

Sasuke didn't seem to know how to answer. I couldn't force him to accept my idea, I could only hope he'd adopt it as a healthier alternative on his path to strength.

I sighed. "You want to kill Itachi, right?" He didn't even seem surprised anymore. "Hate will consume you. If you manage to kill him, what then? You'd have nothing."

He looked to the floor. If I waited for this talk for too long, he would have been too far gone. I got to the virus of hatred in time. If I put it off for a couple years, he'd be canon Sasuke for good.

"I don't know," he mumbled. He honestly seemed so confused that it made me want to laugh.

"If I talk to you for a bit, will you listen and not interrupt?"

He nodded again, sitting down on the hardwood floor. I followed suit, sitting cross legged on the floor in front of him. He refused to meet my gaze.

"I'm Akemi Uchiha. I'm the daughter of a Nara and an Uchiha. I was raised to believe in oneself, not the glory of a group of people I don't know. I don't care about the Uchiha clan-"

"Wait, but-"

"Don't interrupt me, we had an agreement," I chided. He just looked to the floor again. "As I was saying, I don't care about the Uchiha clan. I don't know the vast majority of them and they didn't know me. I care about people, but the Uchiha clan were related to me by chance. Blood ties mean nothing if there aren't bonds with them."

He looked up at me in confusion. "As it is now, I don't particularly consider you close. You're my cousin, yes, but I don't know you. You don't know me. You know my name and nothing more." He blushed furiously.

"On the other hand, I'd love to get to know you. Just because I don't care for the ones I didn't know, doesn't mean I didn't want to get to know them. I'd love to be your family, Sasuke."

Tears pricked at his eyes, and his shoulders trembled. "I-"

"No talking yet. I also can't accept someone like you in any way. My family can't be hateful, I won't allow that toxicity into my life. Kill your brother for all I care, but as far as I'm concerned, we're practically siblings now. I won't let my little brother be a hateful asshole."

Whether my vulgar language is what surprised him, or me calling him my brother, I didn't know or care. It took only a moment for me to get attached to the kid.

It was easy to ignore nameless faces of Uchiha's, but this was my family. It was almost hard to see him as a character now. He was real, and he was my family.

"No hatred, Sasuke. You can be strong to protect people, like me if you'd like. We can get strong to protect each other."

Tears streamed down his face. An unasked question brimmed in his eyes, and I smiled as sweetly as possible to ease his nerves. I nodded to him.

He leaped at me, giving me another furious hug. I let myself show some of my feelings, as I cooed gently at him. I rubbed his back as he sobbed into my neck. I grieved, he hadn't. For him, it was practically yesterday that everyone died. He'd been asleep for the last week straight.

"Ya know," he sniffled. I looked down at him. "I'm older than you."

I smiled at him warmly. "Ah, isn't that right?"

I felt a small shaking in his shoulders. I thought he began crying silently, but it warmed my heart to see a smile play across his lips. Tiny amounts of laughter shook his small frame.

"Yea, you're my imouto!" He gleefully declared.

"Very well," I chuckled. "Though it's hard to picture you older than me since I'm more mature."

The most childish glare met my eyes. "Are not!"

I just laughed off the childish argument before it began. I decided to do something I'd wanted to do since I came here as an Uchiha.

I took my index and middle finger and poked them to Sasuke's forehead. "Hai, hai. Now help me pick up these scrolls. You can come to my house, the blood should be cleaned by now."

The sheer shock at the action took the boy by storm. He nodded silently and wide eyed, but nonetheless stood up with me, a few scrolls in hand. We began our walk to my home, Sasuke trailing ever so slightly behind me.

I'd netted myself a new "older brother" though I'd always consider him my otouto. I already felt attached, how shameful. It took him five minutes to see an emotional side of me that my own parents hardly ever saw.

Well, at least I'd get to ask him about himself, that might be fun. It could take his mind off of the previous week. After all, he only woke up a day ago.

Wait...

"Hey, Sasuke?"

"Mm?"

"How did you get out of the hospital so quickly?"

I glanced back at him. Confusion marred his face. "They cleared me a few hours after I woke up. They asked me some questions and said I was healthy."

I grit my teeth. "I hate hospitals."

I ignored Sasuke's questioning and worried fretting as I stalked home.

oOoOo