Sasuke stood in the sparse living room of his new apartment in Sound City, the dim light of the evening casting long shadows across the plain, bare walls. The place was nothing special—just a small, one-bedroom unit in a nondescript building. It was the kind of apartment that didn't demand attention, the kind that existed only to provide shelter and space for someone who didn't want to be noticed. It felt empty, just like him.

It had been a few months since he had moved here, but it still felt like he was just settling in, adjusting to the hollow silence that came with starting over. The first week, his phone had been bombarded with texts and calls—mostly from Sakura. He hadn't had the heart to read her messages yet. It felt too raw. Too painful.

The texts had started innocently enough, full of concern, but they had grown more desperate as the days went on. She'd kept asking him how he was doing, if he needed anything. He could feel the weight of her guilt in every word, but Sasuke wasn't sure how to respond. Not yet.

Then there were the other messages. From old friends and acquaintances. People who had once been in his circle—before the firm, before everything blew up. Their messages were full of condolences. "Sorry to hear about what happened, Sasuke. You don't deserve this," they all said. The words felt empty, as hollow as the life he was now leading. He had been pushed out of Uchiha Inc. in the most humiliating way possible, his career derailed by the very people he had trusted the most. His father's cold dismissal, Itachi's betrayal, and Sakura's vote to fire him—every action had cut deep, a reminder of how alone he really was.

Sasuke tossed his phone onto the couch, unable to bring himself to read any of it. He had cut all ties with his family. After everything, there was no room for reconciliation. He couldn't forgive them—not his father, not Itachi.

But he needed to survive. His savings had taken a hit after the move, and he wasn't about to ask his family for help. He didn't even want to think about it. The last thing he wanted was to fall back into the web of their expectations, their control. No, he would stand on his own. Even if it meant scraping by.

That's when he found the low-level legal clinic. It wasn't much—just a small, community-run organization that offered legal services to people who couldn't afford a proper lawyer. The cases were low-profile, often dealing with minor criminal offenses or civil disputes, but it was something. It was work. It was a way to make rent for the next few months while he figured out his next move. The pay was laughable compared to what he was used to, but he didn't care. He didn't have the luxury of being picky anymore.

It felt like a slap in the face, though, to find himself working for something so... small. The legal clinic was nothing compared to the high-stakes cases he had handled at Uchiha Inc. He had been part of one of the most powerful law firms in the city, surrounded by the kind of clients that made even the biggest players in the city nervous. Now, he was dealing with tenants fighting over late fees and families squabbling over custody. It felt like a world away from the corporate labyrinth he had once navigated so expertly.

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, staring at the stacks of files in front of him. The weight of his situation pressed down on him. He'd been at the top once. He had seen how the big leagues worked, how the rich and powerful played their games. Now, he was stuck here, handling cases that barely made it onto anyone's radar. He had to come to terms with the fact that he would never be a part of that world again. No more high-profile clients, no more multimillion-dollar cases. No more sitting at the table with people who mattered.

But he wasn't going to let himself stay here forever. Not in this shitty clinic, not in this tiny apartment. He would rebuild, somehow. Maybe not in the way he'd once imagined, but he would find his way back to something greater. Even if that meant starting from the bottom again.

He glanced over at the phone again, the screen still glowing faintly, reminders of a life he couldn't go back to. He should delete all of it—erase the messages from Sakura, erase the reminders of his past life. But something stopped him. Something in the pit of his stomach twisted uncomfortably. He didn't know what it was, but it was there, gnawing at him.

For now, he pushed it aside.

He had work to do.

As he crushed the cigarette into the ashtray, his phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message. No name, just a number. His fingers hovered over the screen. The message read:

Meet me tonight. I know your situation. The clinic's a dead-end. Come see me.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Whoever this was, they knew more about him than they should. But what choice did he have? He was barely scraping by, and though his instincts screamed at him to ignore it, something in the message gnawed at him.

The address led him to an unmarked building on the outskirts of town. It was small, nondescript—no sign, no indication of who might be inside. Sasuke hesitated for only a moment before pushing open the door. The interior was dim, almost suffocatingly so, and the scent of old wood and stale air filled his lungs.

The dimly lit room seemed to close in around Sasuke as the door clicked shut behind him. His eyes scanned the shadows, the air heavy with the weight of what was to come. There was no sign, no indication of who was waiting for him. Just silence. A man emerged from the darkness, his face obscured by an eyepatch, his presence demanding.

"You're Sasuke Uchiha," the man said, his voice steady and calm. "I'm glad you could make it."

Sasuke didn't respond, instead observing the man with sharp eyes, assessing every detail. Something about his presence made the room feel colder, as though the very air was holding its breath.

"I'm Danzo," the man continued, not waiting for any acknowledgment. "And I have an offer you can't afford to ignore."

Sasuke narrowed his gaze, his body tense. His mind immediately started working through the possibilities. An offer? From the person who had been manipulating events behind the scenes? It didn't sit well with him. He wasn't here for games, and certainly not for charity.

"What do you want from me?" Sasuke's voice was flat, but the edge of suspicion was clear.

Danzo tilted his head slightly, as if evaluating Sasuke. "I want to help you, Sasuke. I've been watching you closely, and I know your history—your downfall."

Sasuke's fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening. The words were familiar, and hearing them from someone like Danzo made his blood boil. He wanted to lash out, but he held himself in check. "I've heard enough of that already."

Danzo's voice didn't waver. "I understand your anger, but I'm not here to remind you of the past. I'm here to offer you a future. The chance to rebuild your life, to reclaim everything you've lost."

The words stung in a way Sasuke didn't expect. Reclaim. Rebuild. The very things he had told himself were beyond his reach. The bitterness flared in him again, but he kept his voice level.

"I don't need anything from you."

Danzo's expression remained calm, almost sympathetic. "You think you don't, but you do, Sasuke. You think you're just fighting against the organization that brought you down, but you're fighting against something you don't understand. I'm part of that organization, Sasuke. The very people who made sure your case was shut down, who ruined everything you've worked for."

Sasuke's breath hitched, and his gaze flickered to Danzo, trying to make sense of his words. His mind raced—part of the organization? He had suspected as much, but hearing it come from Danzo's mouth felt like a punch to the gut.

He couldn't keep the anger in check anymore. His hands balled into fists, his body trembling with the need to strike. "You?" Sasuke's voice was a venomous hiss. "You're the one who did this? You're the reason everything I worked for crumbled?"

Danzo didn't flinch. "Yes, Sasuke. I orchestrated it. But you have to understand—I didn't do it to destroy you. I did it because you were a threat. You were getting too close. You were going to expose something far beyond your reach. Something that would have cost us everything."

Sasuke's eyes blazed with fury, but Danzo's cold gaze didn't waver. "You think you're the only one wronged here? You think I haven't paid a price for what I've done?" Danzo's voice grew sharper, more insistent. "We're both cogs in a much larger machine, Sasuke."

Sasuke's mind was a maelstrom of emotions—anger, disbelief, confusion. But there was one thing he knew for sure: he didn't want to hear any more of this man's justifications.

"I want nothing to do with you," Sasuke said, his words sharp and final. "Nothing to do with the people who ruined my life. You think I'm going to work with you after everything you've done?"

Danzo didn't respond immediately. His gaze was calculating, as if weighing his next words carefully. Finally, he spoke again, his tone low but persuasive.

"I understand your anger. But what if I told you that this—this offer—is the chance of a lifetime? The chance to get everything you've lost. To have your revenge, Sasuke. To destroy the very people who betrayed you, who cast you aside when you needed them most."

Sasuke's fists remained clenched, but his pulse quickened. He wasn't sure why, but the idea of revenge tugged at something deep inside him. The feeling of power, of finally taking control of his life again. But still, he stood firm.

"I don't want to destroy everything I've fought for. I don't want anything from you."

Danzo's expression shifted, the cold smile never leaving his face. "I get it. You're angry. You've been wronged, and you want to take it all back. But listen closely, Sasuke. The real betrayal wasn't from the organization. The real betrayal came from those who cast you aside—the ones who shut down your case and left you out in the cold."

Sasuke's gaze narrowed. "Uchiha Inc.?"

Danzo nodded. "They threw you under the bus when they saw a threat. They didn't care about you, Sasuke. They used you, and your own brother betrayed you. They're the ones who made sure you failed, because you were a liability to them. They are the ones who betrayed you. My organization was simply trying to make sure you didn't expose them. We had to neutralise you, but your firm made the choice to shut you down."

Sasuke's chest tightened. For a moment, the words rang in his ears, and a part of him wanted to believe it. Could it be true? Was Uchiha Inc. the real enemy here?

Sasuke's voice was low and filled with suspicion. "And why exactly would you want to help me?" His eyes were fixed on Danzo, searching for any sign of deception.

Danzo's lips curled into a thin smile. "Because I have my own reasons. Hiruzen Sarutobi. The governor of Konoha. He's a threat to everything we've worked for. He's trying to push policies that would undo all the progress we've made. He wants to redistribute funds that could fuel our growth, throw money at programs we deem worthless, which would be better suited funding 'other' interests. He's a danger, Sasuke, and we need him gone."

Sasuke's brow furrowed. "Hiruzen?" He didn't yet see the connection.

Danzo leaned forward slightly, the intensity of his gaze sharpening. "Hiruzen is the head of a political party that stands against us. He wants to undermine our power, dilute our influence, and waste the resources that are rightfully ours. If we don't act, everything we've worked for will be at risk. I need you to help me destroy his career. To bury him. To make sure his policies are never passed. You'll be working alongside Orochimaru, the District Attorney of Sound. I'll make sure you're placed in his office. You'll have all the resources you need. No one will ever know you're working for us," Danzo added, his words measured, like a well-rehearsed pitch.

Sasuke's hesitation lingered. He hated the idea of aligning himself with the organization that had caused him so much pain, but the reality of his situation pressed in on him—he had nothing left. His family had betrayed him. His career was in ruins. He was stuck.

Danzo's smile widened, sensing Sasuke's weakening resolve. "Think about it, Sasuke. Do this for us, and our organisation can make sure you get to take on your old firm, and also help you rebuild that reputation of yours, we truly do have power in some high places."

Sasuke's mind raced as he weighed the offer. The temptation of revenge burned within him, but something in the back of his mind told him this path was a dangerous one.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Sasuke looked Danzo in the eye, his voice cold and calculating. "Why me? Why not someone else?"

Danzo's grin deepened. "You are making a grave mistake if you underestimate the true extent of our operations. Hiruzen is merely one target. There are many within our order, each dismantling those who stand in our way. Some, like you, will use legal means to bring down our enemies; others will employ far more... unorthodox methods."

Sasuke stared at him, a battle raging inside him. His pride, his thirst for vengeance, and his need for control all collided. But in the end, he knew that this was the only opportunity left to him.

Sasuke's jaw tightened, the weight of a question was pressing on him. "Did the organization bribe Itachi to withhold the evidence... or did he do it on his own?"

Danzo's gaze never wavered. "It wasn't us, Sasuke. Itachi came to Kabuto with the offer. He said he'd withhold the evidence in exchange for becoming managing partner during the negotiations."

The words hit Sasuke like a wave of ice. His brother had made that choice—on his own. The final betrayal.

"I'm in," Sasuke said, the words slipping out before he could reconsider.

Danzo's smile was predatory. "I knew you'd see it my way. Welcome to the organization, Sasuke."