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Chapter Text

In the Hidden Village of the Leaf.

"Hi! It's nice to meet you!"

Twelve children met in unexpected circumstances.

"A pleasure."

A bond was formed.

"I'll see you soon?"

A family was created.

"Are we really doing this?"

Secrets were revealed.

"It's not as if we have anything to lose."

Powers were discovered.

"But what if they found out?"

Together, never separated.

"They won't separate us, not then, not now, and never in the future."

With different roles to play.

"We're a team, aren't we?"

They were the Konoha Twelve.

"I hate him, I hate them, why can't I let go of the past!?"

They were the crazy ones.

"You're not alone."

And they will take the entire Elemental Nations by storm.

Chapter Text

Itachi Uchiha was normally a calm person. Well, as calm as one could be with a little brother who worshipped him like a minor deity, a father who treated training like a sacred ritual, a mother who smothered him in affection, and a Hokage who couldn't even be bothered to give him proper mission details.

Well, not missions—just this particular mission.

Standing before the Hokage in full ANBU gear, Itachi's left eye twitched—just once—before he spoke in the flattest tone known to shinobi-kind.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to investigate an organization... that may or may not exist." He paused. "I'm an assassin, not a conspiracy theorist. Shouldn't this be Lord Jiraiya's job? Or, I don't know, the actual Intelligence Squad?"

Hiruzen chuckled awkwardly, puffing on his pipe. "Ah, well, Jiraiya is... occupied. And the Intelligence Squad is, uh, temporarily indisposed. But this is an S-rank mission! Village security is at stake!"

Itachi exhaled through his nose. Kami save me from cryptic old men.

"Fine. I accept." He formed the hand seal for shunshin, then added dryly, "But if this turns out to be another wild goose chase like last time's 'mysterious shadow cats,' I'm billing the village for emotional damages."

And with that, he vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving Hiruzen blinking at the empty space.

The Hokage scratched his head. "Huh. Itachi's never been this sarcastic before."

The ANBU stationed around the room collectively facepalmed. No kidding, Sherlock.

Then they paused.

...Wait. Who the hell is Sherlock?

(◡◕⏖◕)ᑐ🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁

Itachi materialized in the Uchiha compound, his mood darker than a Nara's nap schedule. Sure, he'd been sent on recon before, but this? This was a new level of absurdity. Investigate a possible organization with zero leads, no known members, and no confirmed activities. In other words: find a ghost.

He was halfway through mentally drafting his resignation letter when—

"NII-SAN! NII-SAN!"

Sasuke came barreling down the stairs like a tiny, overexcited hurricane. At six-and-a-half years old, he had two settings: training fanatic and clingy little brother. Today, it was the latter.

"You're back! Play with me! Now!"

Itachi's irritation melted faster than ice in Amaterasu. He scooped Sasuke up, plopping him onto his back. "Alright, alright. But only for a little while. I have... work."

Sasuke pouted. "Ugh, missions." The word was uttered with the same disdain most people reserved for expired milk.

Itachi chuckled. "This one's in the village, at least."

"So you'll be home for dinner?" Sasuke's eyes sparkled with hope.

"Probably." (Maybe. If he didn't lose his sanity first.)

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What's the mission about?"

"Classified."

"Pleeease?"

Itachi hesitated. Then—against his better judgment—he caved. "Fine. But if you tell anyone, I'll revoke your tomato privileges for a month."

Sasuke gasped in horror. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

A dramatic pause. Then, with the solemnity of a peace treaty signing, they locked pinkies.

"The Hokage thinks there's a secret organization in Konoha," Itachi muttered. "But he has no proof. Just a 'hunch.' So now I get to play detective."

For a split second, Sasuke froze. Then—too quickly for a normal child—he forced a laugh. "Hah! That's... weird."

Itachi's Sharingan might as well have activated from sheer suspicion. That reaction was not normal.

"...Sasuke."

"Yes, Nii-san?" Innocent blink.

"Do you... know something?"

Sasuke's smile turned unnervingly serene. "Would you believe me if I said no?"

Itachi stared.

Sasuke stared back.

A long, heavy silence stretched between them.

Itachi exhaled slowly. Something is very wrong here.

(◡◕⏖◕)ᑐ🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁

Sasuke stood there, staring at his brother, his expression the very picture of angelic innocence — except for the fact that his mind was racing two hundred miles an hour.

Okay, okay, okay. Nii-san knows something. But how much does he know? Does he know about the secret hideouts? The unauthorized s crolls? The secret missions? The—

Itachi's Sharingan swirled ominously. "Sasuke."

Sasuke blinked, wide-eyed. "Yes, Nii-san?"

"You're sweating."

Sasuke's hand flew to his forehead. Crap. "It's, uh... hot?"

Itachi glanced pointedly at the snow gently falling outside the Uchiha compound.

"...Training makes me sweaty?"

Itachi sighed, rubbing his temples. "Sasuke, if you're involved in something dangerous—"

"I'm not!" Sasuke blurted, then immediately winced. Too fast. Too defensive. Abort!

Itachi's gaze sharpened.

Think, Sasuke, think! 

Then, like a gift from the Sage of Six Paths himself, Sasuke remembered Plan W (What should you do if your genius of a brother becomes suspicious of your secrets).

He gasped dramatically, pointing behind Itachi. "NII-SAN, LOOK! A SUSPICIOUS SHADOW!"

Itachi didn't even blink.

Sasuke's finger wilted. "...Worth a shot."

Itachi crossed his arms. "Start talking."

Sasuke fidgeted, then sighed in defeat. "Fine. But you have to promise not to tell Mom and Dad."

Itachi's eyebrow twitched. "That depends entirely on what you've done."

Sasuke took a deep breath.

"Okay. So. You know how you're always saying I should train smarter, not harder?"

Itachi nodded slowly.

"Well... I may have... sort of... formed a small training group."

Itachi's expression remained unreadable.

Sasuke continued, words tumbling out faster now. "With Shikamaru and Choji. And maybe Hinata. And sometimes Kiba. And—okay, fine, Naruto too, but only because he wouldn't stop following us around!"

Itachi's eye twitched again.

"And?"

Sasuke gulped. "And... we might have... found an old storage shed near the Nara compound. And repurposed it."

Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Repurposed."

"For training," Sasuke clarified quickly. "And strategic planning."

"Strategic planning."

"Yes! Like... figuring out how to beat you one day!" Sasuke declared, puffing out his chest.

Itachi stared.

Sasuke wilted slightly under the weight of that gaze. "...It sounded cooler in my head."

A long, long silence stretched between them.

Then—

Itachi sighed. "Show me."

Sasuke blinked. "Wait. You're not mad?"

Itachi's lips quirked. "Oh, I'm furious. But I'm also intrigued."

Sasuke grinned.

"But," Itachi added, his voice dropping into that tone again, "if this is what I think it is, then maybe—just maybe—it could help my mission."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Wait. You mean—"

Itachi smirked. "Congratulations, little brother. You and your secret organization have just helped an ANBU complete his mission."

Sasuke's jaw dropped.

Then—

"OH MY KAMI, NII-SAN, THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE—"

Itachi clapped a hand over his mouth before the entire compound heard.

"Quietly, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded vigorously, eyes shining with sheer glee.

Itachi sighed again.

(◡◕⏖◕)ᑐ🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, looking every bit the wise, burdened leader as he awaited Itachi's report. The ANBU captain had been investigating the rumored "shadow organization" for three days now. Surely, he had uncovered something sinister—perhaps a coup, an underground network, or at the very least, a rogue ninja smuggling illegal dango.

The door slid open.

The young ANBU captain stood before him, posture impeccable, face unreadable. If Itachi was nervous about revealing his findings, he didn't show it.

"Well?" Hiruzen prompted, exhaling a slow stream of smoke. "What have you uncovered?"

Itachi hesitated—just for a fraction of a second—before speaking.

"The organization does, in fact, exist."

Hiruzen leaned forward. "Go on."

"It operates in secret, has access to classified training materials, and has been meeting in an abandoned storage shed near the Nara compound."

The Hokage's eyes narrowed. "Who leads it?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Hiruzen blinked. "Your... six-year-old brother?"

"Yes."

"And the members?"

"Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Uzumaki Naruto."

Silence.

Hiruzen slowly lowered his pipe. "You're telling me the shadowy organization I sent you to investigate... is a children's study group?"

Itachi's expression didn't change. "They refer to themselves as the 'Shadow Fire Squad.'"

"...Why?"

"Because 'Shadow Leaf Squad' sounded too obvious."

Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose. "And what, exactly, are they plotting?"

"According to their mission scroll, their primary objective is to 'defeat Itachi and become the strongest team in Konoha.' Secondary objectives include stealing extra rations from the Academy kitchen and perfecting a 'super-secret ultimate jutsu' that involves a lot of glitter."

The Hokage exhaled deeply, suddenly feeling every one of his years. "So, to clarify—I assigned an S-rank mission to uncover a potential threat to national security... and instead, you found a bunch of first-graders playing ninja?"

"They are surprisingly organized," Itachi admitted. "Shikamaru has developed a three-phase training regimen. Naruto is in charge of morale. And Sasuke has compiled a detailed dossier on my weaknesses."

"...Does it work?"

"No."

Hiruzen sighed. "I suppose we should shut them down before they hurt themselves."

"That may be difficult."

"Why?"

"They've already anticipated this response. Shikamaru left a note." Itachi produced a small scroll and read aloud: "'If the Hokage tries to disband us, we will release the photos of Jiraiya's 'research' in the women's hot springs.'"

Hiruzen's face went slack. "They have WHAT?"

"They also have a contingency plan involving glitter bombs in the ANBU locker rooms."

The Hokage stared into the distance, contemplating retirement.

"Fine," he muttered. "They win. But tell your brother that if I find so much as a single explosive tag in that shed, I'm throwing them all in remedial chakra control for a year."

Itachi bowed. "Understood."

As he turned to leave, Hiruzen called out one last time.

"Itachi."

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"...Does their 'super-secret ultimate jutsu' at least look cool?"

Itachi paused. "It involves Naruto attempting to clone himself while covered in paint. So no."

Hiruzen groaned and reached for the strongest sake in his desk.

(◡◕⏖◕)ᑐ🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁

Sasuke's Diary, Entry #42:
Nii-san was onto us. Initiated Plan W: success. They believed that we are only a small training group.

Thankfully.

Chapter Text

The second time Naruto Uzumaki encountered the dark-haired boy, it ended with a literal bang.

At four and a half years old, he had just gotten his hands on Sealing for Dummies, which he'd found abandoned on the sidewalk outside his apartment. Logically, he knew he should be more cautious about picking up random things from the street, but something in his blood pulled him towards the book.

So he took it.

Now, he spent every spare moment poring over the book, which, to his surprise, was far more interesting than he'd expected. And way easier than those shinobis made it out to be.

("Sealing? That's so complicated!"

"Thank goodness they dropped that from the exam."

"Just looking at storage tags makes my head spin.")

But Naruto had learned early on not to trust everything people said. Especially adults.

On that day, he was hiding (yet again) in a clearing in a forest near the borders of the village, attempting to draw an explosive tag, which, according to the book, was one of the easiest seals to make. 

His tongue poked out in concentration as he scraped the brush across the parchment, ink bleeding into the fibers. The book had warned that precision mattered more than speed, but patience had never been Naruto's strong suit.

A sudden crunch of leaves made him jerk, and his brush slipped, a stray line slashing across the half-finished seal.

"Shite!" He swore, immediately  jerking his head up to spot the boy who'd startled him  standing frozen just feet away. Below him, the ruined seal sizzled ominously, ink lines glowing cherry-red.

Every instinct screamed at him to run, but the idiot was just standing there, eyes wide.

"Move!"

Naruto lunged forward like a fox with its tail on fire, grabbing the boy's wrist with one hand and his collar with the other. He barely registered the startled "Hn?!" before yanking them both backward, just as the world behind them erupted in a deafening BOOM.

Heat seared Naruto's back as they tumbled into the dirt, a shower of splintered wood and leaves raining down around them.

"Oof!" Naruto groaned, rolling off the boy with a wince. For a long moment, they just stared at each other, with Naruto grinning through the pain, the other boy's expression unreadable.

Finally, the raven-haired kid spoke stiffly, "...Thank you. You saved my life."

Naruto blinked. That wasn't the angry outburst he'd expected. Rubbing the back of his head, he let out a sheepish laugh. "Ah, well — I kinda caused the explosion in the first place, so..."

A beat passed. Then, with the solemnity of a formal introduction, the boy extended his hand. "I am Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto's grin widened. He grabbed Sasuke's hand and shook it vigorously. "Nice to meet ya, Sasuke! I'm Naruto Uzumaki — future Hokage, believe it!" He paused, then added with impulsive cheer: "Hey, let's be friends!"

(◡◕⏖◕)ᑐ🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁

Naruto Uzumaki sprinted toward the Uchiha compound, the metallic tang of blood thick in the air even from a mile away.

"Hang in there, Sasuke!" he muttered, heart pounding as his eyes darted across the darkened streets—scanning for danger, for movement, for him. The man who had slaughtered an entire clan in a single night.

The village would be in chaos soon. ANBU were probably already swarming the district. But Naruto had one advantage: no one was watching him.

And right now, that meant he was the only one who could reach Sasuke in time. Before he started to make some very idiotic decisions.

Like letting vengeance and death become his sole purpose in life.

He could so see Sasuke doing that.

(Cough cough)

Naruto knew the others had seen the black signal too — but unlike him, they couldn't move.

The clan compounds would lock down any second. The Hyūga heirs had escorts. Ino-Shika-Chō kids had family protocols. Even the orphanage would be counting heads.

But no one ever pays attention to or tracks the Kyūbi container.

Naruto vaulted over the final fence, the stench of iron and charred wood flooding his nostrils as he charged toward the building he knew housed Sasuke's home. The door exploded inward under the force of his kick, splintered wood scattering across the floor.

"Sasuke!" His voice tore through the silence.

There, in the flickering lantern light, stood a shadowed figure looming over the motionless body of his best friend.

The figure turned around, startled, a̶n̶d̶ N̶a̶r̶u̶t̶o̶ s̶a̶w̶ t̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ d̶e̶m̶o̶n̶i̶c̶, s̶p̶i̶r̶a̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ e̶y̶e̶s̶ w̶e̶e̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ h̶u̶m̶a̶n̶ t̶e̶a̶r̶s̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ c̶a̶u̶g̶h̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶ m̶o̶o̶n̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ s̶h̶a̶t̶t̶e̶r̶e̶d̶ g̶l̶a̶s̶s̶, "Naruto?" Itachi's voice was barely a whisper.

Naruto's hands trembled. "It was you?" He asked softly, but in the suffocating silence of the night, the question could be heard loud and clear.

Itachi's expression twisted — grief hardening into cold disdain in an instant. "Yes," he said, his voice dripping with venom even as tears still traced his jaw. "Foolish little brother's friend... You shouldn't be here."

"Why?" Naruto looked down, his fists clenched so tight his nails drew blood, "Did you kill Sasuke too? Why did you do that? WHY?!"

The last words ripped from his throat in a guttural snarl.

"To test the limits of my ability." Itachi's voice was glacial, his gaze unflinching as he stared down at the boy.

The air thickened with killing intent, pressing down like a suffocating weight. "That's your reason?" Naruto's vision burned red, pupils slitting as he glared at the person he once thought he could trust, "To test the limits of your ability? That's your reason? That's your reason to kill Sasuke? I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

Scorching demonic red chakra bursted violently from the boy, as he lunged forward with his fist raised, aiming straight for Itachi's face.

Itachi didn't move. Naruto's fist connected, or at least it should have. Instead, his knuckles went straight through the Uchiha's face like smoke.

An illusion.

The realization hit him too late. A sharp pain lanced through Naruto's gut as Itachi's kunai sliced upward, sending him crashing into the far wall. Wood and plaster splintered as he gasped, red dripping from his lips.

"Pathetic," Itachi said emotionlessly. "You charge in blindly, fueled by rage. Just like him." 

Naruto forced himself up, teeth gritted. The Kyūbi's chakra was already healing him. "Shut up!" he snarled. "You don't get to talk about Sasuke!" 

Itachi's eyes narrowed just a bit, "But enough," he continued as if he didn't hear him, raising a hand, his fingers curling into a familiar seal. "You will forget this night."

Naruto's vision swam. The room twisted, warped —

No.

He wouldn't fall for this.

With a yell, he dug his nails into his palm, the pain strong enough to break the genjutsu before it could take hold. Itachi's eyes widened just a bit before Naruto charged him again, this time aiming for the wrist holding the kunai.

A sickening crack echoed through the room as bone met bone, and Itachi's weapon clattered to the floor. 

For the first time, Naruto saw it. There was a moment of hesitation.

It was at that time, a choked gasp came from the corner.

Sasuke.

Alive. Bleeding. But alive.

Naruto's breath caught. "Sasuke—!" 

Itachi moved faster than thought. One second, he was there; the next, his hand was around Naruto's throat, slamming him back against the wall with enough force to crack stone.

"You should have stayed away," Itachi whispered, his voice colder than death. "This was never your fight."

Naruto's fingers clawed at Itachi's grip, his vision darkening at the edges. 

He dimly saw a weak, trembling hand grip Itachi's sleeve.

"...Nii-san."

Itachi froze and looked down.

Sasuke's fingers tightened, his breath ragged. "Stop... please..."

For a single, impossible second, the world stood still. Then, Itachi released Naruto, stepping back as if burned.

"...Foolish otōto," he murmured, with an unreadable undertone, but unmistakably fond. In a swirl of black fabric, he disappeared.

Naruto collapsed forward, coughing, his throat on fire. But he didn't care. He scrambled toward Sasuke, hands shaking as he rolled him over. "Sasuke! Hey—hey! Look at me!"

Sasuke's eyes were glazed, unfocused — but they were open. His lips parted, voice barely audible. "...Why... did you come...?"

Naruto's grip tightened. "Because you're my friend, dumbass!"

Somewhere in the distance, the wail of ANBU signals cut through the night. But right now, none of that mattered. Sasuke was alive.

And that was the last thing he knew before he blacked out.

(◡◕⏖◕)ᑐ🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Consciousness returned in pieces.

First came the smell, antiseptic and starch, the unmistakable scent of a Konoha hospital. Then the ache, deep and throbbing, as if every bone in his body had been cracked and hurriedly reassembled. Finally, the light, harsh and white, pierced through his eyelids.

Naruto groaned and forced his eyes open.

"Oh good, you're alive."

A familiar voice, dry and unimpressed. Naruto turned his head too quickly, sending a sharp pain through his skull. He saw Shikamaru slumped in the visitor's chair with his arms crossed and dark circles under his eyes.

"Wha—?" Naruto's voice came out raspy. His throat felt like he had swallowed glass.

"Don't talk," Shikamaru said, leaning forward to grab a cup of water from the bedside table. "The medics said your vocal cords were crushed. Again." He held the straw to Naruto's lips. "Drink."

Naruto obeyed, the cool water relieving the raw ache. When he could finally manage words, he croaked out:

"Sasuke—?"

Shikamaru's expression tightened. "Alive. Two rooms down. They've got ANBU posted at his door."

Naruto's fingers twitched against the sheets. "They think he—?"

"No." Shikamaru interrupted. "But they treat him like a bomb about to go off. Can't blame them." He paused. "You really saw him, huh?"

No need to specify who. The air between them grew tense.

Naruto nodded.

Shikamaru exhaled through his nose. "Troublesome." He rubbed his temple. "The Hokage ordered a full lockdown. No one in or out of the village until they confirm Itachi's whereabouts."

Naruto's stomach twisted. "They won't find him."

"Yeah." Shikamaru glanced at the window, where the first light of dawn painted the sky. "I know."

Silence settled, heavy with unasked questions.

"Why'd you do it?" Shikamaru asked suddenly. "Run into that mess alone?"

Naruto stared at the ceiling. "Had to."

"That's not an answer."

"It is." Naruto's jaw set. "He'd do it for me."

Shikamaru studied him for a long moment before sighing. "...Yeah. He would." He pushed himself up and stretched. "Rest. The Hokage wants to debrief you when you can say more than three words."

As Shikamaru reached the door, Naruto called out, hoarse but direct:

"They won't let me see him, will they?"

Shikamaru didn't turn around. "No."

The door clicked shut.

The moment Shikamaru's footsteps faded down the hall, Naruto sprang into action.

IV lines ripped free as he rolled off the bed, holding back a groan when his knees hit the cold tile. The heart monitor screeched in protest. He silenced it by yanking on the wires.

Two doors down. ANBU or not, he was going to see Sasuke.

He had made it three steps when the window opened.

"Tch. Even half-dead, you're obnoxiously loud."

Naruto turned around and nearly collapsed. "S-Sakura?!"

She crouched on the windowsill, wearing mission gear instead of hospital scrubs, her green eyes glowing. "Shikamaru sent me. He knew you'd pull this crap." A medic-nin bag hung over her shoulder. "You've got ten minutes before the shift change. Can you walk?"

Naruto's grin showed all his teeth. "Try and stop me."

(◡◕⏖◕)ᑐ🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁

The ANBU at the door never saw the sleeping powder waft from Sakura's fingertips. They slumped mid-posture, masks clicking against the wall.

Sasuke leaned against sterile white pillows, his silhouette outlined by the dawn light coming through the window. Bandages wrapped around his torso like a second skin, with faint rust-colored stains seeping through near his left shoulder. His hands rested limply on the sheets, the same hands that had grasped his brother's sleeve just hours earlier.

Naruto approached carefully, like someone nearing a wounded animal. The mattress sank as he sat beside his friend, the smell of antiseptic and blood heavy in the air. Without saying a word, he pulled Sasuke into an embrace.

Sasuke tensed up. For three shaky heartbeats, he stayed still — a statue made of grief and betrayal. Then the first tremor hit. Another followed. Until suddenly, a dampness soaked through Naruto's hospital gown where Sasuke's face was pressed against his shoulder. There were no sobs, just silent shaking that shook both of them. Sasuke's fingers curled into the back of Naruto's gown, his knuckles turning white.

"Idiot," Naruto whispered into Sasuke's hair, his vision becoming blurry. "You're such an idiot."

Sasuke replied, his voice muffled against the fabric, "Shut up."

Behind them, Sakura covered her mouth with her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. The heart monitor beeped steadily, contrasting with the quiet sadness.

The trembling in Sasuke's shoulders stopped first. When he pulled back, his face was red, but his voice was steady and cold. Sakura stiffened by the doorway.

"He left me alive for a reason." Sasuke's fingers dug into his knees. "To mock me. To make me suffer."

Naruto caught his wrist before he could scratch at his bandages. "Or maybe," he said slowly, "there's something else going on."

Sasuke's Sharingan lit up. "I saw him standing over their bodies. He admitted it."

"And then he stopped when you asked him to!" Naruto's grip tightened. "Since when does Itachi do anything without a dozen plans? I saw him crying over your bodies!"

The monitor skipped a beat. Sakura inhaled sharply. "Naruto's right. The psychological profile in his ANBU files—"

"This isn't one of your textbooks!" Sasuke snapped.

"No, it's worse," Naruto cut in. "It's your brother. And yeah, maybe he's a jerk, but..." He leaned in until their foreheads were almost touching. "Don't you want to know why before you chase him?"

Sasuke's breath caught. For a second, Sakura thought he might activate his Sharingan again.

"You felt it too, didn't you?" Naruto pressed. "That moment when he let go of my throat. That wasn't a killer. That was someone hurting."

Sasuke stared at his hands — the hands that had held on to his brother's sleeve. When he spoke, it was barely audible,

"He told me, 'You want revenge, live a life of hatred. Grow stronger... and one day, come before me with those same eyes.'" Sasuke's fingers curled into fists. "He wanted me to hate him. To detest him. But why? Why give me that choice?"

Sakura moved closer, her medical training clashing with her anger. "Why would you even think about listening to your family's murderer? Whatever his reasons—"

"Exactly." Naruto cut in sharply. "Reasons. There are too many things that don't add up." He counted on his fingers, "The weak security seals. No ANBU patrols that night. The Hokage's complete inaction afterward."

Sasuke's head jerked up, his Sharingan awakening. "Are you suggesting the village—?"

"I'm saying," Naruto stood up, his shadow stretching across the hospital sheets, "we've been fed lies. And those lies..." He locked eyes with Sasuke. "They're deeply related to the Uchiha clan. Perhaps, even with its long history."

The heart monitor's steady beep filled the silence that followed. Naruto turned toward the window, the dawn light casting a pale gold on his face. With one hand on the sill, he paused long enough to give Sasuke one last look over his shoulder.

"Think about it."

Then he was gone, slipping through the window with a grace that hid his injuries, no doubt going back to his room two doors down. Sakura hesitated for just a moment, her medical training conflicting with her sense of loyalty. After giving a quick, apologetic glance at the still-dazed ANBU guards, she moved to follow, and she too was gone.

Leaving Sasuke alone in the room, pondering.

(◡◕⏖◕)ᑐ🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁

Naruto's Journal, Entry #67:

The entirety of the Uchiha clan was massacred tonight by Itachi Uchiha, leaving only Sasuke Uchiha. Things don't add up. The security seals around the compound were weak on that night, and there were no ANBU patrols. The Hokage did not even send trackers after Itachi. There is  a secret behind the slaughter, and we will find it out. 

Although I am very glad that I went to the scene, because there is a very big chance that if I didn't go, Sasuke would've gone with the revenge road, and ruined himself.