Chapter 6
Sakura is walking. She has been curious about the Uchiha clan for a while. She knows this Sasuke is supposed to be 'Naruto', but does that mean his clan still remains? Maybe they kicked him out when he was young? Or maybe the Uchiha switched with the Uzumaki. That would be a neat twist. The Uchiha being a large clan in a different country wiped out near entirely. However, she can't help to consider that maybe the Uchiha clan was still massacred by Itachi for… whatever reason he did that. If she knows anything about shinobi and kunoichi by now, it's that they usually have a motivation; something would make them do the things they do even if it's silly or impossible. But impossible doesn't quite have the same meaning as it did when she was still an academy student.
Finally, she finds herself staring at what once was the Uchiha clan's compound. She had visited a few times to pay her respects. This compound is different. It's still empty, but it's in ruins. Almost everything is stained some shade of red. She slowly inches closer and inspects the buildings, the ground, the remains of a fruit stand, and a certain wall.
The building are crumbled and are surrounded and filled will ashes. The wood is dark black. The ground had a lot of unnecessarily upturned dirt, and too much of it seems to be coated in long dried blood. The fruit stand is swarmed with flies and the stench of decayed fruit is clear. And that certain wall unnerves her the most. It makes a chill go down her spine. In blood and encircled in a heart, it says one word -- one name: SASUKE.
She leaves immediately, having a feeling she shouldn't be here. Technically, she shouldn't have entered at all, but… Sakura isn't sure why she went in at all. The trails of dry blood an the wreaked buildings would be enough to know that the massacre still took place. She isn't sure what she expected to see, but it makes her more determined to help this world. Sure, she wants to go home, but she can't leave without helping everyone as best as she can.
"Did you see something you didn't like?" she hears from behind her. She had seen him before, but she had kept a distance. Now, she's looking at him. Uchiha Obito slouched with his hands in his pockets with a lazy grin.
"Uh… Yeah, sorry. I was… curious," Sakura admits awkwardly to him. He doesn't have any scars on the right side of his face from whatever had caused him to have those in his world, and he doesn't have a scar over his eye like Kakashi-sensei had.
"You look like you're interested. Do you want to talk about it?" he suggests with an undertone that implies he wants as much information as possible.
"What do you want to know?" she inquires. She'll answer as best as she can. She doesn't care if he thinks she's crazy, and she doesn't care if he knows that she came from another very similar world in the future.
* * *
Sakura has been wanting to help Kiba for a long time now, and she will help him no matter what. Sakura and he had been training for a few hours as they had done everyday since she offered unless one of them were busy or had to do something.
"Kiba, what's… your relationship with your clan?" she asks.
"S-Sakura! Why do…? Why?" Kiba asks.
"You're always so shy and nervous. You're a shinobi, aren't you? Shouldn't you have a dog? It may be me being stupid because of a civilian mindset instilled into me, but can you answer me why you don't have a one like nearly every other Inuzuka does?" she asks. Sakura has had enough of this, and she will repair any relationship problems. She may not be Naruto, but she will help Kiba in his stead.
"I'm… not on the best of terms with my clan. E-everybody else is so… happy and confident. They're always so loud and proud. And then, I-I… I'm not," he admits. He sounds so dejected and like he's going to cry, but she can tell he's not done yet. She knows he's not done, and she will listen to everything he feels he needs to say.
Kiba calms himself as he continues, "My sister would try to makes me… like everyone else. My mother would try to make me like everyone else, but I wasn't like them. I'm… not like them. And i-it bothers me that they can't accept me. They claim that… 'the clan is like a pack and a pack sticks together', but I feel isolated… I feel li-li-l-like I'm some outcast!"
He gets quieter, "And one day, I couldn't take it. I snapped, Sakura. I hurt someone -- my sister. I broke my sister's arm and her legs by pushing her off this bridge me have in the compound."
He's whispering now, "I tried to apologize. I tried everything to make up for it. They wouldn't listen. And I've been so scared of snapping again. They wouldn't give me a dog because they were afraid I'd hurt them. I wouldn't. They hate me, Sakura. They won't forgive me for what I've done. I betrayed them. It's all my fault."
"Kiba," Sakura finally says, deathly silent, "don't ever feel the need to be something you're not. Don't think it's your spot. You made a mistake. Everybody does. It's a part of life. It's what makes us human."
"Thanks, Sakura, but-"
"No," she cuts him off, "I'm going to make your clan accept you. Then, you'll get your own dog. Let's prove to them that you're worthy, Kiba. You're my friend. Am I yours?"
He's silent, and tears run down his cheeks. The Inuzuka smiles and nods, answering more confidently than anything she has ever heard from him, "Yes!"
* * *
"Would you be a miss Inuzuka Tsume?" Sakura asks boldly.
"Yeah. And who would you be?" the woman asks.
"Haruno Sakura, I'm on your son's team. He happens to be my friend, and I want to help him," Sakura introduces herself, explaining her purpose here.
"Him? Why? Why would you want to be friends with someone like him?" Tsume asks in confusion as she places her hands on her hips.
"Why?" Sakura repeats before answering herself. "Like I said, Kiba is my friend. I want him to be happy and accepted. You are not helping, you hypocrite.*
"Hypocrite! How am I a hypocrite?! I bet you don't even care about him! You claim to want to help him, but you're just changing who is truly is inside. Weak and cowardly," Tsume barks.
"Aren't the Inuzuka supposed to see all of their family as a 'pack'? What's so different about him -- Kiba -- your own son that you can't trust him?" Sakura asks calmly.
"He hurt Hana. She was just trying to help him! And he pushed her off a bridge! She could have drowned!" the mother roars.
"She didn't though. And how long ago was that? What have you done to make him do this? He tries so hard to prove himself. He has to prove himself to be just as good as any Inuzuka even without the ability to use your clan techniques. I get the impression that you think he is lesser than the rest of the clan, you don't trust him well enough, and that you're very prideful. So until you can straighten yourself out, I will be having Kiba stay at my place. Good day!" Sakura finishes.
Sakura storms out, not listening as the woman asks her to wait. She will not. She stops and calls over her shoulder, "I'll give you a week, and I'll be back with Kiba. You better make the right choice."
* * *
"You didn't have to do that," Kiba whispers when Sakura finally returns.
"Of course, I did. We'll be meeting up with your mother in a week. It should be just enough time to face your fears. Hey, Kiba, can you keep a secret?" Sakura asks.
"A s-secret? Yeah…," the boy responds.
"I know of a world where you have a dog. His name was Akamaru. I believe you got him shortly after graduating. You loved him, and he seemed to love you back. You two were inseparable. You got along well with your clan, your sister, and your mom too. You were confident, arrogant even," Sakura laughs and retells all sorts of stories. Kiba laughs along and asks questions about this alternate world, about his other self, but none more than about his other self's dog.
* * *
"Kiba, I… I'm so sorry for everything. Please, forgive me."
"Okay, mom. I forgive you."
"Oh! You're here!"
"Hana?"
"Your friend talked to mom, and she talked to me. And we agreed that this gift is the most suitable to give you."
"You're… giving me a dog?"
"This little guy is Akamaru. Take good care of him, alright? Starting tomorrow, mom and I will be training you."
"Thank you so much."