Chapter 3
Sasuke follows Konan to their Akatsuki base, he's shown to one of the many rooms lining the hallway where he spends time gathering his chakra and thinking over his next actions. He'll have to go to Konoha, that's a given, but do what exactly? The Uchiha clan won't back down on their coupe just because of him. Or maybe they will, but the public opinion about them won't change and it'd be the same all over again.
He could kill Danzo and the council, maybe even the Hokage, but that won't improve their reputation either. In fact, it'd be more likely to launch the coupe while the village is in distress. Also, he didn't really want to kill anyone without their crimes being exposed. His first priority to get Shisui, Naruto, Itachi, and the children unaware of their clans plans to safety. They'd inevitably be caught in their crossfire. The village Jinchuriki and the red-eyed demons.
As the sun sets, there is no sign of Obito returning anytime soon. Not like he had thought the other would so soon. Seems like Kakashi and Obito both have a tendency to pull back and lock away when grieving. Without seeing how their actions would affect others. A few minutes pass by as he looks around aimlessly when he hears a knock on the door.
Ah, it's Konan. But Obito isn't back yet. What'd she want with him?
"Our leader Pein wants to meet you." comes her voice through the door when he doesn't open it.
Pein.
Nagato.
Uzumaki Nagato.
Why didn't he think of this before? Maybe things could work out peacefully after all. Or, as peacefully as possible.
"I'll agree to meet Uzumaki Nagato," he replied back after a moment. There's silence after that so he supposes he's not welcome to meet the real deal himself. No worries, he'd be meeting him either way, now or later.
"Fine, Nagato has agreed to meet with you." she comes back after thirty or so minutes and he's marginally surprised. He had given up hope for her to return after the first ten.
He gets up, grabbing his sheathed sword and attaching is near his waist before opening the door, coming face to face with Konan. She begins walking without saying anything and he follows equally silent.
They walk through several corridors before reaching a room. A simple unassuming room. She enters it without knocking and he follows her. Inside in Nagato, seated on a chair without a large amount of black chakra conducting rods attached to him. His face and body are shrunken and he looks like a shell of a human. Truly ghostly indeed. The only thing about him which does not look dead are his eyes. In the faint light, they seem to glow purple.
Wordlessly, he removes his eyepatch and opens his Rinnegan. Purple eyes stare into each other in silence for a moment before he begins talking.
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Naruto looked at his hand. More specifically, his right palm, it had a sun on it. Looked like a drawing except that it kind of glowed sometimes. He doesn't know when it appeared, but he noticed it today morning while heating up water, not for his ramen! But to make some soup. Sasuke-san said ramen is okay for dinner but not breakfast and even bought him so many things to cook! There was a lot of tomatoes but he guesses that's okay.
Anyway, the sun. Where did it come from? It did look nice though so maybe it's okay. Should he hide it? There's no reason to. With his mind sated for now, he proceeded to pour himself some miso soup for breakfast, keeping the excess in the fridge for later. He also had a bento made for himself today! Sasuke-san bought him orange food colouring as a joke and he made full use of it. Cue the orange onigiri in his tiffin. Maybe Choji would like it!
After packing and locking up (he learnt that it was important to lock everything, though no one would enter his house even if all the doors were left open for some reason), he made way to the academy. The past few days had been amazing. Did having a family feel something like this? Just one person who visited him was so great, it must be so awesome to have two parents and siblings and grandparents and uncles and aunts! He wondered if Sasuke-san didn't have any family as well. Maybe that's why he got so sad sometimes. Wonder when he'd come back again. He did say he has some stuff to do for a few days.
"Good morning Iruka-sensei!" he greeted with a grin as he stepped inside the classroom. The man mumbled a greeting in response, head not lifting from whatever he was reading. Naruto made way to his seat, but as he was going up something caught his attention. Sasuke-teme was looking at his left palm with a frown. Huh, weird. He wanted to sit beside Sakura-chan but... maybe she wasn't so nice, always hitting him and calling him an idiot. He was not. And it was wrong to hit others. Even if it was him. Ah, he could sit beside Shikamaru at the last bench.
"Hey!" he called out cheerfully and the Nara mumbled a 'let me nap' sleepily. Both Chouji and Naruto snickered. Soon enough, the bell rang and they began their lessons for the day.
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In a place very far away, hidden by whirlpools and tall barriers, the city of Uzushio rejoices for the first time in over a decade. Because someone crossed the waters, someone managed to find the island, someone Uzumaki. The seals spread over the whole of the island and even underneath it tingle with chakra as if calling this person to them. From on a wheelchair, Nagato feels tears run down his cheeks he first time Yahiko's death. Because this is everything.
Everything his parents had ever told him about. The waters and seals and short trees and red sunsets and elaborate architecture. Everything they told him of a home he'd never see, a home they'd never be able to return to. Their home.
How did he forget all those bedtime stories and wistful gazes from those years ago?
There was no salvation, he knew that now.
No matter what he did, the world will remain full of pain and hatred.
Uzushio.
His homeland.
Uzumaki.
His clan.
All gone.
No, the land was still here. The seals were still alive, the waters still roared. The buildings were still intact. He was still alive, somewhere in Konoha, the last heir of the Main Branch was still life. Spread around the five elemental nations, his people were still alive. Scattered and in hiding, yes. But alive.
They could rebuild. Become strong once again. Make the world know why Uzu was feared once again.
Behind him, Sasuke stood holding his chair, looking over the vast land that lay in ruins. Where Naruto's whole clan was slaughtered just like his had been. Betrayed by one of their own because outsiders would never be able to navigate through the harsh currents alone. Only because of Nagato they stood here, at the right place alive.
Konoha was rotten and Sasuke wasn't a hero.
His hands weren't meant to fix the system, that could be left to Naruto to do. He would help in building a new system where his brother and family, friends and counterpart would be able to live in peace.
He just hoped that was enough.
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A nineteen-year-old Sakura sat beside her best friend, her teammate, in the hospital room. Naruto. Ever since his and Sasuke's fight weeks ago, he hadn't woken up. His vitals were stabilized, everything was fine. But he just didn't open his eyes.
"Maybe he's had enough." Ino had told her one day as they sat in the bar. Naruto? He never gave up. He would be the only person who'd get knocked out over and over but still get up.
And Sasuke...
The name was enough to bring tears to her eyes, to make her furious. Because it was because of him that Naruto was in this condition.
And he himself was,
He was dead.