The Ember Tomorrow (Naruto SI)

[Arthellion]

Spoiler: Author's Note

Also Posted to Royal Road.
So, this is my attempt at an isekai novel. I've debated going back to my quests but alas the muse has run dry. Still, this has been one idea that I have had in the back of my head for awhile.

The goal is for a realistic isekai (as much as such can be) and grounded in tone. There won't be instant godhood, absurd characterizations, or the like. Just a man from our world thrown into another life. The life of the shinobi.

Prologue

Before I died, I was a professor of philosophy. A devotee of Kierkegaard and critic of Nietzche my colleagues would call me. The realm of epistemology was mine to wander and it was in ethics I found a passion sweeter than wine. I was a lover of Dostoevsky and his hunt for the beautiful soul. And yet, I died an ugly death. Alone and forgotten with my wallet emptied, thieves ran from my bullet filled corpse. A lonely death and one filled with far less peace than most men deserve.

Perhaps, in return for such ignoble passing, the universe did indeed extend to me the onion of grace that wanton Gruschenka did gift to blessed Alyosha in Dostoevsky's Brothers K. Who can say?

You might think trading the life of a simple professor for a superhero in a manga would be a simple choice, but I miss my old life. Terribly so in fact. Perhaps it is odd that I would wish to be in the body of my former self compared to who I became, but I miss pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose. I miss my plaid jackets with leather elbows and a colorful bow tie. I miss a good pizza or a burger. Hell! I would give anything for a proper taco. I miss the comfort I experienced. Most of all I miss my students.

Darren, a footballer with a kind demeanor who struggled so hard just to pass my course. I was so proud to give him the first A he ever received.

Annie, who's parents had sent her to the USA from China and who spoke in broken English but adored my lectures and would always stay after class to work through some more advanced metaphysical concepts.

Joshua, with his insatiable thirst for knowledge and true desire to help his fellow man.

I miss them. I wonder what became of their lives?

When working in academia, there are usually two paths faculty tend to take: research or teaching. Now don't get me wrong, nearly every professor does both, but you'll find that academics tend towards one or the other. Most prefer research and only halfheartedly give themselves to the discipline of teaching. It is research that is the life blood of American institutions of higher learning and it is through research that these organizations are awarded federal grants. Student tuition certainly fills the coffers but it is funding research grants that keep the lights on. Academia, an introverted field as it is, tended to attract those who loved research. Not I.

It was in the classroom I found the freedom to truly pursue knowledge. In the blessed minds of my students I did learn more from them than all of Plato combined. For, in my students, I saw what it was to live and love. I saw what it meant to build relationships and that to pursue harmony with your fellow man is found not in dusty tomes but in the joy and heartache of a life lived well!

But I died. An ignoble death in a forgotten alleyway my corpse did lay. And though a new life was granted to me, what is so easily forgotten in the minds of those who wish for this power fantasy to exist is that my life before was REAL!

As real as flowers in an autumn bloom or the buzzing of a bee in spring so too my life before this change was real and it was no less valuable for its lack of power or character.

I lived and loved in all life's passion and this new person I have become…please to those who read my memoir and wish they could be more than they are, do not forget that your life is far more real than words on a page or screen and it is truly worth living to its fullest extent. Because, to be real, is the greatest jutsu of all.

Chapter 1

I awoke to white. Such a cliche line to indicate I awoke in a hospital, but it does set the mood I suppose. The white sheets itched against my skin and sunlight caused my eyes to wince in pain. The smell of antiseptic assaulted my nose and I coughed slightly. My throat was parched and I felt as if my entire body ached.

I was relieved to be alive. I didn't count how many bullets those punks filled my body with, but I was certain that I had met the end of my life. I smirked to myself.

"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light…"

-Dylan Thomas

I had not gone into that good night and to hell with those who would have sent me there. I chuckled and once more felt my throat scratch. Water. I needed water. I immediately began to look for the remote that would call the nurse. I frowned. No such item existed. As I noticed I became aware of another oddity. The bed was flat with no option to raise or lift.

It had been some thirteen years since I'd been admitted to a hospital (a nasty experience with appendicitis in my early high school years), but I'd been in the hospital recently to visit my mother. Dad had passed to Covid a few months back and she was on her last legs as well. My heart hurt. I felt the familiar grief of losing my dad pulse in my chest.

Father!

I clutched my head in agony as pain exploded from behind my eyes. It hurt so bad. The grief was nauseating and I felt close to vomiting, but the moment passed.

"What kind of pain meds do they have me on," I silently wondered. My throat hurt.

Water. I needed water.

Slowly, I forced myself up to a seated position. I frowned. Something was not right. My shirt was a dark blue, something incredibly odd for one. And I was wearing both underwear and shorts it felt like. This was a far cry from the nursing gown I should be wearing with my ass cheeks hanging out.

The second wrong thing I noticed almost immediately after this was my hands. They were small and smooth with none of the small scars I'd accumulated over the years. There were some nicks and cuts where it seemed my hands had been sliced recently as if playing with knives.

Ting!

The sound of metal clashing as my body smoothly moved through the motions of throwing shuriken filled my ears with a memory and I felt the same sharp pain explode beneath my eyes.

"What the fuck," I rasped out. I did my best to swing my legs over the side of the bed and felt bile rise in my stomach as I stared at two small legs and much smaller feet. The skin tone was off as well, paler than my tanned legs.

"Okay. Okay," I silently breathed. What are my options here? Mad scientist stuck my brain in a new body? Possible though incredibly unlikely. Though would be cool for a ship of Theseus thought experiment. I grit my teeth. Focus damn it. Reincarnation? Much more likely than the mad scientist idea. I'd studied Buddhism early on during my religious phase and though ultimately decided on agnosticism had always held a deep respect for the faith. Though depending on who you talked to it was less a religion and more a way of life.

Focus. I recognized what was happening. My mind was going on tangents to protect myself from a panic attack. Focus on different things than the fact I'm currently in a young boy's body. I was a boy right? Feeling a bit icky, I checked and was somewhat relieved to note that I was still indeed male.

I sighed and slowly took deep breathes. I needed to calm myself. Panicking would accomplish nothing. I slowly pushed myself off the bed. My feet touched the cool ground and I felt a bit wobbly but I caught myself against the nearby dresser. Pain. There was a lance of fire that shocked me that came from my left arm.

Why Itachi!?!

The headache returned with a vengeance and I felt myself vault forward to my hands and knees upon the cold sterile floor. Spit fell from my mouth as I dry heaved. Pain.

Foolish little brother.

I wretched again, my body convulsing and I felt as if I was dying again. Memories. Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha's memories. The headaches started coming faster.

"When it's just him and I, all he talks about is you."

"Maybe next time, Sasuke."

"To test my capacity."

The memories came in a blur. And then…

Blackness.

Light.

I was laying in the bed once again, staring at the white ceiling. I…didn't know how to feel. I had died. I knew this now. I had died and been reborn as Sasuke Uchiha of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The deuteragonist of the anime Naruto. Hell. It'd been years since I watched the anime or read the manga, but there could be no denying the truth.

I stood. Slowly. And made my way to the faucet in the room just a few feet off the foot of my hospital bed. I shuffled slowly. The cold tile shocking my feet but I needed to see.

Staring back at me with dark hair and black eyes was Sasuke Uchiha. I felt his small eight year old memories in my mind. I knew the truth. I didn't know what to do. Water. Yes. I needed water.

I turned on the faucet to cold. At least it seemed this world would have that technology for which I was grateful.

The memory of the massacre was fresh in my mind. So ever present and close. I could feel Sasuke's grief over his family. My grief. I could feel his rage against Itachi. His hate against Danzo Shimura and Obito Uchiha. My rage. My hate.

I hungrily drank from the faucet. So thirsty. And as I lifted my head to stare back into the mirror, red eyes stared back.

-End Chapter.

 

[Arthellion]

Chapter 2

A single tomoe lazily spun over a red canvas in each of my eyes. I swallowed hard. I could feel the energy from within my body feeding chakra to my sharingan like a dull hum. It was odd, the sensation of chakra; how does one explain this feeling of a new internal energy? Chakra, the blending of one's spiritual and mental energies, could be cultivated and used to perform superhuman feats of strength. It had been some time since I had watched the series, but I remembered that it had been the Sage of Six Paths who had spread the use of chakra throughout the world. In the show, one developed as a shinobi through their use of chakra and the performance of jutsu. The show had only given vague details on how one actually summons chakra, but Sasuke's own memories supplemented where my shoddy recollection of the show failed.

I knew how to gather chakra. I could remember performing the leaf exercise and how to cause a leaf to stick to my forehead with nothing more than the spiritual energy within my young body. It felt different than I would have imagined based upon watching the anime. It was less a sense of forceful summoning and, not to be crass, more like relaxing your muscles to take a piss. I grimaced at the vulgar explanation of such a delicate art, but it was the closest approximation of the feeling that I could offer.

I consciously forced the chakra that was being fed to my eyes to cease and they faded to a dull black. I felt sad. There was a heady feeling attached to the sharingan. Everything felt sharper and I could literally feel strength flow through my body as I had activated it. Noticeably, the activation and deactivation of the sharingan seemed tied to my emotions. The flow and ebb of chakra could be heavily affected by the emotions of the shinobi and with the mere thought of Itachi, I could feel my chakra spike towards my eyes.

Anger. Rage. Hate. With the memories of my former life, I knew the truth of the massacre; however, it was the memories of my new self that made the grief real. This was not merely some fictional story. This was real life and everything that had happened to Sasuk-to me- mattered. I remember my aunt and uncle's encouraging words. I remember eating my mother's cooking. Oh the ache in my heart felt so real. I was both my former self and Sasuke Uchiha. The metaphysical implications of this were astounding, but at this moment all I could feel was grief and rage.

Even knowing the truth of why Itachi massacred the clan, it did not change the fact that he had still murdered innocents. He had still taken the lives of countless civilians, children too young to make a conscious choice in the matter, and for that, I hated him. I could delve into the ethics of it all. Child soldiers. Utilitarian calculus. The responsibility to family versus responsibility to village. All of these things could be considered in an intellectual void, but my love for such exploration felt pointless here. People were dead. Innocents were dead. My family was dead. And my brother, whatever his reasons, had killed them.

Vengeance called to me. I could feel it like an ache in my bones. There was desire, foolish desire, to march into the Hokage's office and slay the old man where he sat; then I would hunt down Danzo and pluck his eyes from his body before feeding him to the ravens. I could feel my heart beat faster. I would hunt down Obito Uchiha and force him to watch Rin die over and over again just so he could understand a measure of my pain. And finally, oh and it would hurt him so, I would slit my own throat before Itachi showing him how pointless his actions had been. The lure of vengeance called to me and I stared into the mirror as my hands gripped the porcelain sink tightly. Red eyes once more spun in the mirror.

But no. I stared at the mirror and loosened my grip, my sharingan fading again. I took a deep breath. Oh it was a temptress, but I felt the pain subside. Vengeance is not justice. I knew where that path led. The anime itself had shown it to me even if the history of my former world had not.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," I quoted under my breath. A smirk crossed my face. An apt quote considering my kekkai genkai. Still, I was one of the few with the potential to bring my brother to justice. The thought gave me pause. Would I become a shinobi? Technically, there was nothing stopping me from simply living out my days on what I assumed would be my inheritance. Marry a nice girl. Maybe even spend my days writing and developing the intellect of this world.

The memory of a moon suddenly flashed across my mind and I sighed. I slowly made my way back to my bed. I was the incarnation of Indra Ōtsutsuki, if the anime was still be to trusted. Which meant that Naruto and myself were the only two in this world with the potential to face Kaguya and save everyone. Were I to reject the path of the shinobi, I would be dooming Naruto to walk that path alone. Another memory crossed my mind of a character in red and blue spandex emblazoned with the symbol of a spider, "with great power comes great responsibility."

A simplistic, yet powerful axiom, regarding the nature of justice. Dismantled to its base elements, justice could, in my opinion, be dismantled to the ideal of that which individuals owe to one another and to themselves. Deriving from that ideal, though built upon numerous other axioms, one could make the case that the more capacity that one has, the more they owe to society and fellow individuals.

I had the potential to save the world. It would be…unjust to deny that potential and likely doom thousands to death merely for a life of peace and comfort. I sighed and rested my head against the cold pillow with my hands underneath. I could hear the sound of birds chirping and the glow of the sun indicated that it was early morning. A nurse would likely be by soon and I would have to interact with others. That would be difficult, but far less so than it could have been considering what had happened. Immediately after the massacre, and at this thought I felt a pang of sharp grief, was perhaps the best time I could have…what was the word all those isekai used? Transmigrated. Yes, that was the word.

It would make sense for Sasuke to have undergone a personality change. I could remain silent and aloof as I grieved and, over time, people would expect my odder traits to merely be the result of trauma. I paused. Damn that was such a cliche thought. Probably written in a hundred such isekai stories. Meh. The logic is sound. My thoughts wondered over the next hour ranging from bouts of grief to random tangents, but my thoughts were broken as I heard the sound of the door open. I swallowed and slowly raised my self up.

A man in a medic uniform moved the curtain and his eyes widened as he saw that I was awake.

"Ah, you're awake. I'll...get the Hokage."

I silently stared at the man and he turned, hurriedly making his way out of the room. One boon at least, they spoke English. At least I would not have to worry about learning another language. Though a doctorate in philosophy required study in foreign languages, my studies had focused more on Russian and German authors, I did not know Japanese. It would have been quite a pain having to fake being a mute or something until I picked up the language.

I scooted my back up against the wall and waited. Thoughts ran through my mind about how to approach this. Logically, I should tell the Third Hokage everything. I had a great deal of knowledge about the future and that knowledge could be used to avoid some of the more tragic aspects of the series. And yet....yet I found that I could not share such with him. More and more it became clear that I was not just my former self. I was Sasuke Uchiha. And with the knowledge of the massacre, the thought of Hiruzen Sarutobi dying at the hands of Orochimaru brought the barest hint of a smile to my face. I would not blame Konoha. I would not blame the innocents in this village, but Hiruzen Sarutobi's weakness had lead to the death of my family. If not for his weakness, my family would still be alive.

No. It would not be the Third Hokage to whom I shared such knowledge if I ever shared it with anyone.

It was not long before the door opened once again and I met the God of the Shinobi for the first time. The first thing I noticed was the steel in his eyes; it was obvious that the man was tired and age had worn down his face. Liver spots and wrinkles might convince someone unaware that Hiruzen Sarutobi was simply a decrepit old man, but it was his eyes...his eyes were sharp and they seemed to pierce me like a blade. I thought for a moment everything about myself was laid bare and he could see into my very soul, knowing that I was a being from another world.

But then I saw the compassion in his eyes. There was sadness there and grief from a life marred by war. Despite my hatred for the man, I felt some measure of empathy for the Third Hokage. This was a man forced to spend his years watching over a village when he should have been retired, leaving the leadership to the Fourth Hokage. I did not know if I could ever trust Sarutobi, but I felt a small measure of my hatred for the man diminish. It was Obito who was to blame.

"Sasuke," his voice was like old parchment unfurling in a long abandoned library. Crisp and dusty, but there was kindness there, "Do you remember what happened?"

I slowly nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Sarutobi seemed to sense my reticence to speak and merely took a seat beside my bed. The chair creaked beneath his weight and the smell of antiseptic still hung in the air. Despite the weight of moment, my stomach growled and I noticed the barest twitch of the Hokage's lips. I found that I could not measure the strength to be embarrassed as the Hokage raised his hands and twitched his fingers. I found myself surprised as an ANBU appeared at the Hokage's side in the blink of an eye. It was one thing to obsere such in a show, but seeing the speed in reality was something else entirely.

"Frog, please have one of the medic's bring breakfast for young Sasuke," the ANBU gave the barest hint of a nod and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Perhaps it should not be, considering my possession of Sasuke's memories, but I felt myself shocked at the display of jutsu. To see such superhuman abilities...and more would be coming. I swallowed.

"You're safe here, Sasuke," Hiruzen offered softly and I turned my eyes towards him. Was I truly? If I shared I knew the truth of the massacre would he lock me up? Murder me? For all that Hiruzen had made a promise to Itachi to protect me, his first responsibility was to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. And I did not blame him for that at least. I had no ill will towards this village. It would be my home. I finally forced myself to speak, asking a question I knew the answer to but needed to ask all the same.

"Did anyone survive?" My voice was soft, still that of a child, but it seemed to hang in the air and Hiruzen's face seemed to age even further. The dour expression upon his face confirmed what I already knew. And despite everything, I began to cry. Everyone. My clan. My family. Gone. Once the tears started they did not end. It was not just the massacre. It was everything I had lost. My home. My mom. A career that I loved. Friends and colleagues who I would enjoy a late night pint with. Hell, I even cried for the lack of fucking McDonalds. The tears just kept flowing.

I felt the Hokage's aged hand upon my shoulder and all I wanted to do was scream at him that it was his fault. To shout his weakness to the world, but I found that I could not. I could say that it was not wise and that is what stopped me, but in reality the grief was just far too strong. So much lost. I had died and lost everything. And now, I was truly alone. The loneliness of it was suffocating. Lost. I did not feel like a professor approaching his thirties. I felt like the form I currently wore. I was an eight year old boy lost in the universe.

My sobs began to subside after a few minutes and I found my mind clear. Perhaps numb was the better word, but I felt capable of coherent thought, "So...what happens now?"

"For now, you rest," Hiruzen offered with a strong voice that seemed to brook no disagreement, "I will make certain that everything is taken care of. You do not have to worry about anything. We can make decisions later, but for now, Sasuke, know you are safe and Konoha will take care of you."

I nodded slowly. There really wasn't much more to be said.

<end chapter.

 

[Arthellion]

Authors Note: Firstly appreciate all the follows so far and reviews. Definitely appreciate any feedback anyone has as this is very much about improving my writing as well as creating what I hope is an awesome story.

Secondly, apologies in advance to the actual philosophers out there. I recognize I've simplified some concepts and theories almost to the point of being completely off the mark, but the focus here is creating a great story rather than a dissertation.

Anyways, hope you all enjoy Chapter 3!

Chapter 3

The next few days passed by in a blur of medical checkups, mindless staring at the ceiling, and reading. I had asked for a few text books from the academy and the nurses had seemed happy to oblige. My nurses were all hesitant at first, seemingly walking around egg shells around me, but as they saw I wouldn't break down just for talking to me, the relationship became a bit more comfortable. I did not say much to them beyond the occasional request and thank you. Though it was hard, I faked a smile when they brought me something I needed. It cost me nothing more than mental energy and was the right thing to do. Gratitude could go along way in building connections and respect from others.

As I began to read the books they had brought me, I began to understand the ultimate cheat code that the sharingan truly was. I flipped through the pages at a blistering speed and I discovered that not only did the sharingan offer eidetic memory, it also offered eidetic understanding. The book was a history text, one detailing the events of the First Shinobi World War, but I found that merely flipping through the pages of the text impressed both the image of the text in my mind and also a complete knowledge of what the text was trying to convey. I felt a twinge of regret. If only I had had this ability in my past life.

My thoughts turned to my current life. The sharingan was obviously far more useful in this world than one in which it would be used to sate the academic passions of a nerdy professor. To be able to apply this to any ability as long as my body, my chakra capacity, and my chakra control were able to perform it? The sharingan, to put it mildly, was broken. Still, I was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Despite my bloodline limit and apparently natural talent, I was only human. I did not have the same godly chakra reserves or healing abilities as jinchuuriki. A kunai to the head would kill me as easily as any other shinobi. There would be far greater threats to face than mere iron and steel. I hadn't kept up with the anime past Naruto becoming Hokage, but I distinctly remember hearing about aliens from alternate dimensions showing up and wrecking Sasuke and Naruto. I frowned. I could digress into a rant about poor storytelling, but there would be no point. Not like I could do anything to change such things or that there would be anyone around who would understand my ramblings.

I sighed. The Hokage had been by to see me twice more. The first visit had been a difficult conversation as he requested as many details as he could about that night. All the while I could not help but feel the tension. He was putting on a show. He knew the details, but he did not know that I knew that he knew. It was a delicate dance of words I played. I'm sure he probably noticed something was off about my demeanor but I could only hope that he attributed it to my trauma and not something closer to the truth.

The second meeting had been difficult in a different way as it had centered around logistics. The man had attempted to offer a home outside of the clan compound but I found that Sasuk-, no my, my pride would not allow it. The compound was my home and I would not be forced from it. That had lead to more conversations regarding money and inheritances. The Hokage had seemed to want to merely tell me that everything would be taken care of, but with my older mind I found myself asking for more detail. This had led to the Hokage agreeing to set up an appointment with a potential accountant who would manage my affairs. Was it precocious of me and unwise? Probably. It would have made more sense for an eight year old to not care about such things, but once again I found I could not let such sleeping dogs lie. My pride demanded that I honor the legacy of my clan through proper stewardship of all they had left me.

I paused. One of my areas of research in the past had been the intersection of Aristotelian Virtue Ethics and Feminist Ethics of Care. Simplifying it down to perhaps unfair descriptions, whereas most ethical theories focused on more futuristic/motivational factors (such as the utilitarian method of maximizing happiness and minimizing suffering), I would argue that virtue ethics and ethics of care were both more holistic in nature and also more true to the human experience. In the case of Care Ethics, right and wrong should be carefully considered under our societal attachments and responsibilities to those closest to us. For example, a parent has a stronger ethical responsibility to care for their child than they do to care for another's child.

Virtue ethics, being less normative in nature, were, to simplify it unfairly, about becoming the kind of person who is, by nature, virtuous. The intersection came in to play in how one's ethic of care for another could be formative in a virtuous human being.

Thus, my ethical responsibility to care for the legacy of my family compelled me to develop as an individual in how best to steward their remaining wealth and legacies. Long story short, I wanted to honor my family and that meant I mentally had to prepare for a long and boring meeting with with an accountant should be arriving any minute now.

I stood and made my way to the window. It was still so bizarre to look out and see the faces of the Hokage. While I knew there were jutsu that created such a monument, I still thought to myself that mere cartoon (or anime to avoid the weeb complaints) animation did not do the structure justice. I had never been to Mount Rushmore, but had been to the Lincoln memorial in my past life. Staring up at the faces of the Hokage, I could not help but feel a sense of awe. There was something both regal and comforting about knowing that the faces of the Hokage looked down over the village that they had sworn to protect.

I tore my gaze to the village streets. Numerous Shinobi and civilians were making their way here and there, many with smiles on their faces. I found my eyes drawn to a young boy walking down the street with his mother. She held his hand in hers and a warm smile rested upon her face. I felt a pang of grief pierce my heart. I would give anything to hug my mother, either of them, just one more time. The grief gripped my heart tightly and I took several deep breaths to calm myself.

Focus. I could not be crippled by grief. There was a time and a place for weeping, the catharsis of the soul as it were, but I could not become weepy eyed at every display of familial affection that occurred in front of me. I might have taken the body of who many in the fandom might consider the "duckbutt emo kid," but that did not mean I had to act like one. I subconsciously patted the back of my head, forcing the hair down. It didn't last long before sticking back up. I sighed. I needed a haircut. I suppose I could ask the nurses for one.

I was broken from my thoughts as I heard the door open. I turned to see perhaps the most stereotypical ideal of an eastern accountant possible. The man wore a white robe with a blue shawl and hat. His face was gaunt, almost ratlike, with a pointed nose and Fu Manchu. Internally, I thought back to the many diversity trainings I'd received and mentally snorted. This was not woke at all.

"Good Morning, you are Sasuke Uchiha, yes?" His voice was softer than I would have expected. His eyes contained a hint of compassion buried beneath…annoyance? I supposed that made sense. I was an eight year old child after all.

I nodded, "Indeed, and you are?"

"Sunak Yeltori. I'm the estate manager the Hokage sent for. Shall we sit?" He gestured towards the chair and bed and I nodded.

I observed him as I took a seat upon the hospital bed. I suppose this meeting would have been better in his office with a desk but perhaps the Hokage wished to put me at ease by having the meeting here. It was annoying that we did not have a desk as I could see the numerous file folders in the man's arms but I suppose the bed would provide enough space. Annoying.

"It is nice to meet you, Mister Yeltori," I offered with a smile. The man gave a slight nod.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I'll admit most of my clients are typically much older, but I'll do my best to assist you managing your holdings until you're older."

I gave a nod and thought for a moment before asking, "Before we begin, could I ask your qualifications?"

Sunak raised his brow, seemingly not expecting the question, but tilted his head, "Of course. My name is Sunak Yeltori, certified estate manager of twenty years. I received my education in the Fire Nation Capitol during my youth before moving to Konohagakure fifteen years ago. I've overseen numerous business and actually was responsible for several of your family's business holdings here in the village which was why the Hokage selected me for this task," he paused and I could see a softness in his eyes, "I know you likely will become tired of hearing this, but my sincerest condolences for your loss. It was an honor to serve your clan in the past and I will do my utmost to serve well going forward."

I listened and gave a small nod, "Thank you, Mister Yeltori. Well…shall we get started?" I gestured towards the folders in his arms.

The next hour was both enlightening and overwhelming. Seltori kept his explanations simple and brief, but even with my older knowledge I found myself struggling to keep up. Numbers had never been my forte, but I managed to keep up with it. As expected, I was, monetarily, loaded.

My clan was apparently quite wise with their finances and business investments. I now apparently owned several modest businesses throughout Konohagakure and many large bank accounts. The numbers were quite staggering.

"My suggestion, Sasuke, would be to consolidate the savings into a single account to increase interest-" he paused noticing the way I had begun to yawn and offered an amused smile, "Ah, I can come back tomorrow if you wish?"

I waved my hand dismissively, "No, no. I'm fine just need a short break." I stood and stretched making my way to the faucet to fill my cup with water. I looked over at the man and asked, "Why did you choose to be an accountant?"

I immediately realized I had said something wrong as there was a glint of fire in his eyes and his nostrils flared.

"I am no mere accountant, boy!" He leapt to his feet and shouted in a voice inflamed with the passion of a thousand indignant bureaucrats, "I am an Estate Manager! No simple accountant is as capable of the arcane art of investments and finance as I! A mere accountant may be able to tell you numbers, but I am capable of far more! I am a sage of the numerical arts! A devotee of Sagacious Zu Economics! Financial investors enter my presence and worship! Accountants may tell you numbers, but I shall tell you meaning!"

I could feel myself deadpan. Shonen anime. Right. Still, his passion was admirable. I could respect that in a fellow academic as it were. Imagining the times some of my students had failed to call Doctor and instead referred to me as Mister…yes I understood his indignation well.

I bowed at the waist, "My apologies, Mister Yeltori. I did not mean to offend."

The Estate Manager sniffed imperiously as if condoning my words, "I accept your apology. Shall we continue?"

I nodded and soon we were back into the world of numbers. Several important decisions were made over the next several hours. First, the majority of wealth would be consolidated into a savings account to build interest and the rest dispersed to an account from which I could comfortably draw a modest month stipend. At Sunak's suggestion, we agreed to have a weekly D-Rank mission for genin to deliver groceries to my home. It was a minor fee and would barely cut into my funding.

Additionally, we decided that there would be a larger one time mission for a team of genin to go through the estate and throw out all trash and clean the buildings. Another annual mission would be to stop by and do a cleaning of the clan compound.

I felt a hint of annoyance at allowing random genin into the home of my clan, but the truth was I could not main the compound as it was on my own. And I was not willing to rent the buildings out to anyone. One day, those houses would be filled again with Uchiha. My family. My clan.

As for the businesses owned by my family, we would leave them in the care of their current managers, but would revisit their profitability in a year's time. All in all it was highly beneficial, but I did have a thought that I wanted to suggest.

"Would it be possible to renovate the two houses beside my own into something different?"

Sunak stroked his chin, "Anything is possible, what did you have in mind?"

"Ah, I'd like to consolidate all of my family's scrolls into a library and our weaponry into an armory."

"Hmm," he observed me quietly, "You are a very precocious child, Sasuke. Very odd. Very smart. Thinking of the future so soon…"

I felt myself swallow hard. I'd gotten ahead of myself, so wrapped up in my dreams of the future that I had let my maturity bleed through. That said, why did I want such renovations? I envisioned a future with a family. My clan restored and justice visited upon those who had slain the innocents.

And it was here that I knew instinctively that I would forever be different than the Sasuke Uchiha. I was not an avenger. I would be an agent of restoration and justice.

But how to salvage the current situation?

"I…" I swallows and chose my words carefully as Sunak's beady brown eyes observed me, "I want to build a home for my future family. Itachi took everything from me…I intend to rebuild what he stole. Whatever it takes."

The man was silent for several moments at my words before nodding and saying, "Very well then it shall be my honor to assist," he turned his gaze back to the books, "Yes, such a project should be possible…"

We spoke for about an hour more before calling it and rescheduling a visit later in the week to follow up on things. As he left, I sighed and rubbed my temples. My brain hurt furiously from all the logistical conversation. I could tell that, in this body, I lacked the mental focus of my older self. I supposed it was understandable with different body chemistry that my capacity would be different.

I frowned at a sudden thought. I would have to relive puberty. Fuck. The thought was not pleasant as my teenage years had been quite unkind. I shook my head. I could think on such things later. For now, time to rest.

The following day came and I glanced over at the medic checking my vitals. His name was Higaku. By his eyes I could tell he was if the Hyuuga clan. I suppose it made sense that one of that clan would make a good medic with their superb chakra control. He gave me a small smile, "Good news, Sasuke, only one more evaluation today and we should be able to discharge you."

I sighed in relief. Finally. It would be good to get out of this hospital. I laughed softly and said, "Good. What will it be this time?"

Higaku started to speak, but the door opened and cut him off. Higaku turned to the entrance and gave a smile, "Ah, looks like he is here already."

I felt a chill run along my spine and my stomach drop as a blonde haired man stepped into the room, "Hello, Sasuke. My name is Inoichi Yamanaka. Shall we get started?"

-End Chapter

 

[Arthellion]

Chapter 4

I shifted nervously in my seat as Inoichi made his way into the room. Higaru gave a slight nod to the blonde haired man as he exited and I felt myself longing for the Hyuuga to stay. If the Yamanaka entered my mind, there is no way he would not discover my past or knowledge of this world. I'd be locked up or worse. The thought of being dissected on a table did not appeal to me in the slightest.

"Do not worry, Sasuke. This is just a psychological evaluation. I'm not going to try to enter your mind," the man's voice was comforting and I turned my gaze to observe him. I felt a bit of my fear abate though I was still wary. Sasuke's mind supplied memories of a blonde haired girl in class who had always been quite kind to others. Ino Yamanaka. Though Sasuke's interactions with her had been limited, he had noticed her kindness to other kids in class. I paused. That did not match the mental image of the bossy twelve year old Ino from the anime who had an entirely annoying rivalry with Sakura. I guess people change quickly at this age.

Focus. I was going on a tangent again.

"You do not have permission to enter my mind," I stated firmly at Inoichi, who gave a nod. The man was dressed in simple clothes and a jounin vest with his blonde hair tied high into a pony tail.

"This will only be a series of questions to make sure you're fit to be discharged, no need for any invasive procedure," he said seriously and I sighed. My secret was safe for now, but I still felt somewhat anxious over this meeting. What would it reveal about me? I felt my foot begin to tap the metal leg of the bed nervously.

"Sasuke," his voice was kind and blue eyes were squinted in a smile, "You are a citizen of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I will protect you with my life. You don't have to worry. We don't use our jutsu on our comrades unless it's absolutely necessary."

I nodded, feeling more of my nervousness abate, and we got started. The next few minutes were a series of basic questions.

"How do you feel?"

"Do you have any thoughts of hurting yourself?"

Etc.

As we spoke I made certain to observe the man and, annoyingly, I couldn't really get a read on him to determine how my responses were being received. Inoichi's expressions were carefully chosen and designed to make me feel at ease. A small smile rested on his face and his legs were crossed with a small white notebook resting upon his knee. He lightly tapped a pen against the top of the notepad in a relaxed and casual manner. I felt my eyes widen ever so slightly and glanced down at my foot. It had begun to match the speed of his casual tapping. I internally chuckled. During some of our crises intervention trainings, it was a basic psychological technique to mimic such anxious movements with a similar one and then slowly decrease the speed. Often, the target of the technique would subconsciously begin to match the speed you were giving off. It was useful in calming down a student who was in a state of emotional crisis.

I stopped tapping my foot and noticed Inoichi's eyes widen ever so slightly and a small smirk crossed his face. He wrote something on the notepad and I frowned. The sooner I was out of the hospital the better. I was under too much scrutiny and giving off too many yellow flags.

Then the questions shifted.

"What are your feelings towards Itachi?"

Rage. Anger. Love. I felt chakra shoot towards my eyes but I clamped down on the flow quickly before it could activate my sharingan. I had been careful about revealing that knowledge to others and did not wish for Inoichi, and by proxy the Hokage, to know I had awakened by Kekkai Genkai just yet.

"I'm going to kill him," I said simply. The truth of why he had killed the clan did not absolve him of his crimes. Itachi Uchiha would die by my hands and justice for the innocents of my clan would be found. I saw Inoichi's face flinch slightly and he said softly,

"You don't have to do that, Sasuke. The Hokage has ANBU hunters chasing Itachi. They will take him down."

I stared at him impassively. The words were said as a means of comfort, but I could tell that he did not believe the words he was saying. He knew as well as I did that Itachi was far beyond the skill of mere ANBU. It would take someone on par with the Hokage to take down my brother. I leaned back against the bed and said softly,

"You don't believe that."

Inoichi tilted his head and I could tell he was not quite sure how to respond to that statement. I shook my head and said, "It has to be me. I'm the only one left with the capacity to awaken the sharingan and face Itachi. Anyone else will just be getting themselves killed. The Hokage should just call off any ANBU. They won't stand a chance."

The Yamanaka's lips pursed and he made another note his pad. He gave me a smile, "Well, I think that wraps it up. I'll be sure to recommend to the medics that you be discharged. And Sasuke..." he paused for a moment before looking at me seriously, "If you ever have anything you need, don't hesitate to reach out. I meant what I said, you are a fellow citizen of Konoha; however, I can help, just let me know."

"I..." I tilted my head at the man. The expression on his face was one of genuine concern, "I will. Thank you, Mister Yamanaka."

The man gave a nod and turned to leave. I sighed. Alone at last. Questions ran through my mind. Grief and pain in a tangled mess. I meant what I had said to Inoichi. I would kill Itachi; that said, I already knew I would not walk the path of canon Sasuke. Of the villages in the show, Konoha was easily the village with the highest ethical standards and commitment to doing the right thing. They cared for their comrades and the Will of Fire burned strong. I could get behind such a philosophy. Besides, Naruto would need my help.

It was still early in the day and so I turned to the stack of books on the counter of my bed and began to read again.

-----------

I stood at the entrance to my clan compound and stared at the Uchiha Clan symbol emblazoned at the top of the arch. I felt a pang of grief and heard the words of my father, "The Uchiha Clan is the breath that fans the flames of the village."

Though I was the only one left, I could feel the weight of those words. As the last loyal Uchiha, I would nurture the Will of Fire that suffused this village and protect my home. I chuckled to myself. Such grandiose ideals and ideologies but I had already decided I would not walk the path of hatred and Konoha's Will of Fire was beautiful in its own way.

I stepped through the arch with a determined expression on my face. This was my home. I walked through silent streets and grit my teeth as memories filtered through. The dead bodies of cousins and aunts and uncles flashed before my eyes, but I shoved the memories away. I would grieve them in my own way, but I could not be paralyzed by memories.

As I walked, the silence gave way to the sound of hammers and men yelling. I frowned. Was the construction already underway? I turned the corner onto the road leading to my home and was surprised to see a group of men already hard at work on the buildings next to my house. There were piles of lumber and I saw several of the men standing near a table with what looked to be blueprints.

My eyes looked past the men to the entrance of my home. I shuddered. The last time I had been here...no. I turned my gaze from it to a more familiar figure. Sunak Yeltori stood several yards away from the construction with his arms crossed and eyes focused on supervising the workers. As he saw me, a brilliant smile appeared on his face, "Ah! Young Master Uchiha, it is good to see you outside of the hospital at last! Truly this is an auspicious day!"

I found that I could not focus on the bad memories in the face of the Estate Manager's exuberance and found myself letting out a small laugh. I brushed a lock of black hair from my face, I still had yet to get a haircut, and asked, "How goes the renovation?"

"Quite well, the men should be finishing up the library by tomorrow and starting on the armory on Sunday. Additionally, the genin teams assigned to cleaning the compound have consolidated all of your family's scrolls and weapons and the items should be ready to be moved into these new buildings shortly after they're finished." Here Sunak paused and gave me a sly glance, "I've also made sure each of these genin are aware of the consequences of stealing from your estate."

"Ah," I nodded, "I suppose there are laws protecting my property."

Sunak smirked, "While you are correct, my warnings I feel were more effective than mere laws. A few mentions of ghostly Uchiha haunting and cursing those who would steal from their family was a bit more effective in having those genin shaking in their boots."

I felt a smirk cross my face. Sunak apparently had a cruel sense of humor.

"Thank you for that, Sunak," I said gratefully, "Well, I'm heading to my house...I'll be there if you need anything."

The Estate Manager gave a nod and I walked past with a determined expression on my face. I could feel his eyes and the eyes of several of the workers on my back as I approached the entrance to my home. I paused at the entrance and could feel the memories wash over me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I would not let this define my life. I could be so much more than the Last Uchiha. With a smile, I faced the nightmare and opened my eyes.

It was odd. Odd to be in a place that felt so much like home despite the fact I had never been here. I pondered this. Why was it that I felt so much more like the person who had died than Sasuke Uchiha. It was his body and life after all. I pursed my lips, perhaps it was simply the weight of a life lived? I had been nearly thirty when I died. The weight of my memories and personality seemed to outweigh the life of this young boy. It was somewhat depressing and I wondered not for the first time what had caused this transmigration; still, I would rather this than oblivion.

I shook myself and made my way through my home. I was determined that I would one day fill this place with new good memories, but for now, I would remember every moment I had had with my family before Itachi took it all away. The sound of construction broke me from my thoughts and I laughed. Despite tragedy, life moved on.

I spent the rest of the day organizing my home. I could not bare to bring myself to enter my parent's room just yet, but I cleaned the kitchen and living room. I smiled sadly. This was a large home for a single bachelor, much less a boy of eight. Still, I would take care of myself and perhaps one day my future family would live here. The thought caused me pause. A future family meant marriage and children. I frowned. It would be awkward to end up in a relationship with any of the kids my own age considering the emotional maturity different. And honestly, the thought kind of squicked me out. And it was unlikely any of the older kunoichi in the village would take me seriously. I shook my head. Such thoughts were not worth having at this point. I chuckled and began to sing a song as I cleaned and organized,

"My Mama said "You can't hurry love

No, you'll just have to wait."

She said, "Love don't come easy

well it's a game of give and take."

You can't hurry love

No, You'll just have to wait.

Just trust in the good times

No matter how long it takes.

-Phil Collins

I finished my cleaning and looked out the window to see the sun setting. I felt a bit of sadness as I continued the hum the tune. I missed my iphone. It was unlikely I'd ever hear the glorious voice of Phil Collins again in this life. That was depressing. I shook my head. It would be dark soon and time to fulfill something that had weighed heavy on my mind.

I made myself a small sandwich, courtesy of the groceries some of the genin had dropped off, and waited for darkness. I wasn't sure why, but I knew that it was best to visit where I was going at night. I gathered up my things as it got darker and made my way out of my home. The construction workers had long since headed home and the compound was silent save for the sound of crickets.

Blood splattering the ground.

A red moon.

I blinked and took a deep breath. No. Enough. I would get past this. I pushed the memories aside and forced myself to keep walking. I made my way through the empty streets and forced myself to remember the good times. Itachi carrying me down the streets. Aunt Teuchi giving me a delicious tomato. Cousin Aiko teasing her brother Sora and both of them laughing as they pinched my cheeks. The way to push back the darkness was with light and I was determined to be a source of that in this dark world.

I soon reached my destination, The Nakano Shrine of the Uchiha, and stared up the steps that would lead to the temple; here, Sasuke's memories supplied my mind with knowledge I had either forgotten or simply was never covered in the anime. The religion this land followed was close to the Shinto religion of Japan. Essentially a polytheistic religion, Shintoists believe that there are Kami, or patron gods, who reside in all things. For the Uchiha Clan, the patron gods of their clan were three goddesses who had acted as guardians against the evils of the spiritual realm. Naturally, the three goddesses were Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, and Susanoo. There was also a deity the Uchiha constantly prayed against, the deity called Izanagi, who tempted the Uchiha with disturbing the natural order. I supposed such made sense considering that the abilities of the Mangekyou were named after these deities.

As I walked up the steps to the shrine, I found my thoughts wondering back to my previous life. I had been an agnostic in my previous life, believing that our current reality could not prove definitively one way or another that a deity or the supernatural existed. As I walked towards the shrine, I felt myself less sure of that stance considering that I had found my soul transmigrated into a fictional world. That disproved that the supernatural did not exist; as for gods...I found myself staring at the altar in the center of the room as I entered. Well...maybe I should consider a Pascal's Wager in this setting. Pascal's Wager being that it's better to bet that a god exists and do what they say and find out they don't exist than to bet that they don't and then find out they did. In my previous life, I hadn't found it an especially powerful argument, but here in this life where spiritual energy was an actual thing and resurrection was possible...

I stood before the altar and, with a few quick handsigns, breathed out a small stream of fire onto the altar. A memory, one of the good ones passed before my eyes.

Sasuke stood in the center of the room. His cheeks were scuffed with burn marks, but a brilliant smile rested upon his face. The room was filled with numerous clan members and the old priest Batu stood before him. He had earned the right to be called a full member of the clan with his mastery of the Great Fireball Jutsu.

"Today, we recognize Sasuke Uchiha as a full member of the clan. Who speaks for him?"

Batu's voice resounded throughout the room and Sasuke felt himself shiver. The eyes of the whole clan were on him.

"I speak for him!"

Fugaku's voice rang out, solid and strong, as he placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. There was pride in his father's voice and his grip was strong. Sasuke felt safe and confident.

"Very well then. You have been spoken for and claimed. Sasuke Uchiha, will you light the fire to the Deities Three."

Sasuke nodded and stood forward, breathing fire upon the wood. A smile upon his face.

I shook my head from the memory. A smile still remained on my face. Father. Mother. I'll keep the flames burning. With another shake of my head, I turned to the tatami mat that I knew would lead to the secret meeting place of my clan. I walked over and shifted the mat, revealing stairs leading downwards. I sighed. Time to read what was written.

I descended into the darkness, a torch in my hand lit from the fire upon the altar, and soon I was in a much smaller and cramped room. There was a stone tablet at the far wall beneath the Uchiha Fan. I swallowed hard and approached. The stone tablet was smooth with no words engraved upon it's stone. I nodded. I had expected such. I let the sharingan bleed into my eyes and words appeared. I read slowly, letting the sharingan burn the history into my mind.

"So that's how it is," I sighed and stared at the ceiling, "Fuck you, Itachi."

-End Chapter

 

[KillerFish]

Hmm, should be interesting. A professor that enjoys teaching with a history of wanting to help his students excel, transmitigated into a situation where he is ideally suited to help develop the critical thinking and learning habits of a neglected child who craves attention.

Well played, Professor Arthellion.

 

[MossPiglet]

. A devotee of Kierkegaard

Click to shrink...

Poor dude probably has quite the crisis of conscience, marrying Kirkegaards views on the acceptance of death and devoting your soul to god with being isekai'd into Naruto might be somewhat difficult. ( Please note that I haven't read his work but about his work, so if I or the author misinterpreted him or I misremember I'm sorry and would be happy to be corrected).

People were dead. Innocents were dead. My family was dead. And my brother, whatever his reasons, had killed them.

Click to shrink...

It's actually an interesting question if the death of these people was harmful ( the pain and suffering in their last moments certainly was, I'm not trying to make excuses for Itachi ) for them , if we have the knowledge that they exist in a world in which we can be certain that there is some kind of life after death. They lost their family and friends and were taken from the live they build themselves in Konoha, but one shouldn't disregard that they lived in a world that is really crappy in many regards ( depending on your interpretation of Naruto canon ) and now have the chance to live another life somewhere where children aren't pressured to fight and kill for their supreme commander, where personal strength doesn't equate power and maybe even build themselves a life that they find quite a bit better than the one they left behind.

 

[KnightDisciple]

One thing I'm enjoying is that this isn't just a detached full-SI, this is being presented, consistently, as a merger of persons. So the wisdom, experience, knowledge, perspective of the 30-something person is there, but also fused/fusing with the young dimension-native. There's a personal stake in this.

Also, I think and hope over time that Sasuke will realize that Hiruzen, while not perfect, was a man trying his damndest to avoid the slaughter, and never ordered it. It's pretty much all Danzo's fault vis-a-vis "instigators".

 

[Arthellion]

Chapter 5

The Curse of Hatred

The Sage of Six Paths brought the power of chakra to the world. Through his wisdom and insight, he brought disparate groups of people to join together in peace and harmony. He believed that chakra should be used to truly understand one another.

Two sons were born to the Sage. Asura and Indra. Asura inherited the power of the Sage's body and Indra inherited the power of the Sage's eyes. Together, the two sons lived in understanding and love; however, they both sought to earn their father's approval and so found themselves often in competition.

Indra often won these competitions through his pure hearted love for his father and brother. He truly understood what it meant to be one with his chakra and pursue understanding among all. His purity of heart would be his downfall. For Asura knew that Indra's devotion to others would cause him to pursue the strength to protect those whom he loved. Asura spoke honeyed words into the Sage's ears and convinced the sage that Indra desired power above all.

And so when the Sage chosen to name a successor it was...

The words upon the stone grew blurry near the end until all I could see was smooth stone. I sighed, "So that's how it is." The stone would remain unreadable until I had unlocked greater stages of my sharingan. My brother was literally using cliffhangers to a story to try and motivate me to gain power, "Fuck you, Itachi."

I exited the secret room and made certain to put the tatami mat back in place. I yawned. It was getting late and I needed to get some rest before the morrow. Tomorrow, as my first day of freedom, would be a busy day indeed. I took a long look at the altar as it burned. I would not be here to tend it. No one would be. The thought made me sad. For generations, a priest had overlooked the fires to the three goddesses. Perhaps one day, those flames would rise constant again, but, for now, it was the flame inside myself that I had to nurture.

I awoke the next morning to the sound of my alarm going off at sunrise as I had set it. I quickly turned the object off. I paused. It was bizarre to me the odd combination of technology this world possessed. There was electricity and primitive computers, but no cars or planes. It seemed that the ability to use chakra had limited growth in those areas; and yet, there was a television downstairs in the kitchen. I racked Sasuke's memories for anytime it had been turned on. I found I could not find a single memory of watching tv aside from that of my previous life. Strange.

I frowned. Another thing lost. I would never get to see the final season of Stranger Things. I snorted. It seemed such a trivial circumstance to grieve over but I found I did.

I shook my head and focused on more important matters.

The night had been uncomfortable, nightmares plaguing my sleep, but I would not let lack of sleep deter my plans for the day. With a scowl, though my bed was comfortable and I was loathe to leave it, I threw my covers back and made my way down to the kitchen. I pondered for a moment the insanity that was leaving an eight year old child to survive on their own. Surely there should have been a caretaker or someone to keep watch over me.

But there was no one. I frowned. It is no wonder canon Sasuke ended up as disturbed as he had. While he had eventually come around, to live so completely alone at such an early age was truly barbaric.

There really was no other word for it. I paused. Was the lack of a caretaker because this was how this world is as a result of fiction? Or was this truly common in this world? Like, did Sarutobi not assign anyone because Kishimoto, when making this world, didn't bother to fill in that detail? Or was it truly just not something the old man considered? Bizarre. I doubted I would ever have an answer for such a thing, but for now I was grateful for my previous knowledge as I finished cooking a small breakfast.

Soon, after a shower and getting dressed, I found myself standing on the edge of the lake pier. Sure, in the future I would have a more holistic training schedule, but I could not contain my giddiness. I had briefly used chakra the night before to light the altar and while it was true I was Sasuke and had done this before, there was still something absolutely exciting about using chakra on this level. I closed my eyes and began to form the hand signs.

Horse.

A well of chakra began to pool in my tenketsu that were laced throughout my lungs. The tenketsu expanded, causing my chakra to enlarge and grow into a mighty reservoir of energy.

Serpent.

The chakra began to move upwards, slithering through my chakra paths and making their way to my throat.

Ram.

The chakra increased in speed, gaining potency, rushing forward through the chakra points in my throat.

Monkey.

The chakra began to take shape, looping and weaving through the points in my neck, it would form into a mighty ball of energy.

Boar.

More power. More urgency.

Horse.

More chakra. Running through my jawline to my lips with power and strength.

Tiger.

Release and transform! Convert the energy that was flowing through my body and out my mouth into a ravenous element. Let it devour everything in it's path.

"KATON: GREAT FIREBALL JUTSU!

A giant ball of flame rushed from my lips to hover over the lake. An ember glow burned away the top layer of the water and caused a thick steam to rise. I breathed heavily and a large smile rested on my face. I yelled out to no one, "That was awesome!!"

Heh. Sure, this world might have killer demons, brothers who were not mentally okay, shark people with giant spirit energy eating swords, and a snake pedophile who wanted my body, but I just shot a fucking fireball out of my mouth! This place was epic. I could feel my mouth watering at the thought of all I would eventually be capable of. It was tantalizing.

I cracked my neck and looked out at the water. Something was...different. I wracked my memories and found the answer. Previously, when Sasuke had performed the Great Fireball Jutsu, it had dropped his chakra a great deal and left him with about a fourth of his chakra supply; however, as I took stock of my reserve, I found I had a little more than half. I'd easily be able to perform the jutsu another two times before exhausting my reserves. I wondered what the causes were for this change. The likely answer was that, with the merge, I had more spiritual energy than merely Sasuke alone. While the body was still weak considering it's age, my added maturity and intelligence likely contributed to an increased chakra capacity. It wouldn't be anything reality changing, but still, a nice boon.

"Alright! Since I have more energy, time to get started!" I pulled a small scroll from my bag and noted which exercise to begin first. I would have to be careful in my workouts. There was no one here to guide me or look after me if I was to overly exert myself, but thankfully, a few of the scroll in my burgeoning library detailed optimal workouts for a young Uchiha and how to avoid overworking myself. There was also included a surprising dietary plan which I supposed I would have to follow. I wasn't an Akimichi after all.

Well, time to get started.

The next two days passed by quickly. I woke each morning and exercised with intense stretches, runs around the compound, and practicing the fireball jutsu. I found that I loved the feel of fire chakra. It was warm and comforting even as it threatened to ravage everything around it. I returned each evening to my bed completely exhausted. I had never found much joy in physical exercise in my previous life, choosing instead to focus my mind. Or at least that's what I used to tell myself. The truth was, I had simply been lazy. I didn't enjoy the feeling of working out so I didn't; I would not have that luxury here in this life. Thankfully, it seemed that the whole idea of a runner's high did actually exist and my new body was built for it. The more I trained, the more alive I felt. On occasion, I would feed chakra to my eyes and the heady sensation of the sharingan would cause laughter to bubble in my chest. It was a joy to simply live!

And then it was Monday morning. I slowly packed my schoolbooks and shinobi supplies in my pack alongside a lunch for the day. I could barely contain my excitement. Today would be the day I truly met so many people I had only read about. Today, I would meet Naruto.

There was a knock on my door. I tilted my head. I suppose it made sense that someone would be by to see if I needed help or would be headed to the academy. I flipped the top over my pack and slung it over my shoulder. Time to see who the Hokage had sent.

I opened the door to reveal a figure Sasuke knew well from his memories though obviously I had never met him myself. A large scar over his cheeks and nose drew your attention when you looked at Iruka Umino. He wore a Chuunin vest and brown hair was tied back into a pony tail. He carried himself with an easy demeanor that stood in contrast to the concern in his eyes, but what stood out to me the most was simply how young he was.

Staring at him now, he couldn't have been much more than 19. I felt almost physically ill. This young man, barely into adulthood, had seen death and fought in battle. And he would be teaching me to do the same. Hell, some of my students in my previous life had been the age he was now. It was disconcerting.

"Good morning, Sasuke," Iruka spoke first and I could tell he was a mixture of worried and nervous by how he observed me. He gave me a sad smile, "The Hokage wanted me to stop by check on you. I'd be happy to walk you to class if you feel up to coming today, but no pressure if you don't. You're welcome to take all the time you need."

The sympathy and pity in Iruka's eyes caused a surge of anger in my gut. How dare he act like I was some sort of child? How dare he treat me like I could not take care of myself? I felt the urge to snap at the man and tell him to fuck off, but paused.

Why did I feel this way? The young man was just trying to help. I felt annoyance bubble again and I realized what it was. Sure, it irked my pride, but my body was still that of an eight year old kid lacking self control. I was still Sasuke. And previous Sasuke likely would have said something blunt and merely followed along. My natural instinct was to protect my pride.

I mentally shook my head. Having two memories in my head and the body of an eight year old who was still growing was going to suck. Hopefully as I got older I would feel more and more like one person.

"Ah," I offered after a moment of silence and offered weakly, "Thank you for stopping by. I should be ready to go."

The Chuunin gave a weak nod and I followed him out the door. We walked in an uncomfortable silence and I could tell there were several times Iruka almost gathered enough courage to speak up. Even in spite of my earlier annoyance I did feel somewhat touched by his actions. At the end of the day, Iruka truly cared about his students.

"Sasuke, how ar-"

"Iruka-Sensei," I cut him off and gave a soft smile, "You don't have to say anything. It's nice just to have someone to walk with."

The awkwardness seemed to fall from his face and he gave a genuine smile and nod, "Alright then."

It didn't not take long to get to the academy. Memories of Itachi or my father leaving me at the entrance flooded my mind and I stopped. Iruka turned towards me with a concerned look on his face and I held up a hand. I took slow deep breaths and gathered myself before nodding, "Sorry, I'm ready now."

Iruka gave another concerned look but turned after a moment, "I have to get with the other Chuunin and prep for the day, but if you need anything, anything at all, Sasuke, just ask."

I tilted my head at him. The concern in his voice…it had been the same as Inoichi's. I felt a small warmth in my stomach. Despite everything that had happened, I was still a citizen of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I still had people who would stay alongside me. I still had comrades.

I gave Iruka a smile, "Thanks Sensei. I mean it."

He nodded and turned. Before he could disappear, I quickly activated my sharingan and observed as he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. I smirked as the red bled from my eyes. First copy success.

I mulled over what I had learned as I began making my way into the academy. The shunshin was an odd jutsu. Though it appeared to be teleportation, it was really just a jutsu that caused the user to move at a ridiculously high speed; however, there were significant drawbacks I saw. To use the technique, you had to decide upon the location prior to forming the tiger hand sign and project your chakra to that location. Your body would then "catch up" to the location you had projected your chakra at an insane speed. So if someone managed to catch you in stride as it were, it could cause serious damage to your chakra network. I could see why this would be a dangerous technique to use in combat and why Hiraishin and true teleportation techniques were on such another level. It was the body flicker without the drawbacks.

I shook my head. I could test the technique out later when I got home. For now, I made my way to class.

Whispers dogged my steps. I could hear the soft voices of other children as I walked past. By the look in their eyes I could tell, they were talking about me. The rational part of my mind tried to excuse it. Of course the children would be curious. They would start rumors. The less rational part wanted them to just disappear. My family was gone and suddenly I'm an animal in a freak show to gawk at? Fuck off.

I took a deep breath. I got the feeling I would be doing that a lot today. Focus. It's not their fault or yours, Sasuke. It just is. I stopped. Sasuke. I think that is the first time I've referred to myself by that name like as self-talk. It felt…right. I am Sasuke Uchiha.

I smirked and continued walking to the classroom. As I opened the door, my eyes examined the room. Many people were already here. I could see Sakura seated with Ino in one of the front rows. I guess they hadn't started to fight over me yet. Hopefully, they never would if I had anything to say about it. The thought of having to deal with their affections made me shiver internally. The part of me that was an eight year old boy was disgusted at the thought of them fawning over me and the part of me that was an adult found such affections from children equally disturbing. Heh. Nice to see two parts of myself acting as one.

Apart from Sakura and Ino, I could see Shino seated near one of the back corners and Hinata in one of the middle ones. There was a smattering of other children that, though I knew the name of, did not bother to note. Perhaps it was a bit callous, but in the grand scheme of things they likely wouldn't matter. I took a seat alone near the back of the classroom. It would allow me to exit if I had need and, well, I wanted to observe as the others arrived.

Time passed and I pulled out my notebook and textbooks. The smell and feel of a classroom, as odd as it was, felt familiar to me. I had spend much of my twenties in such a location after all, whether it was behind a desk or at the lectern. It was comforting and I had a small smile on my face as I prepped.

My prepwork was interrupted, however, by a loud yell as I turned to see a young boy with a small dog seated upon his head.

"Safe!" Kiba yelled as he rushed to find a seat. I smirked at the other boy's antics. It seemed he had been worried about showing up late. A reasonable concern considering my younger self's knowledge of Kiba. The boy's tardiness was legendary. For him to be early this day was quite the occurrence. It was odd to see him in real life though and not just in memories of a cartoon or younger Sasuke's mind. It was bizarre to see these cartoon figures given flesh and blood. I leaned back in my chair and pondered. I could not treat these people as caricatures. They were people with their own hopes and dreams. They were real. If I treated this world expecting everyone to act a certain way, I would get myself killed.

Several others trickled in and I found myself amused as Chouji pulled Shikamaru in; the Nara clan member was practically half asleep as he made his way to his desk. As a professor I would have found his antics beyond disrespectful, but, as a student, I merely chuckled to myself. It was amusing.

"Alright everyone, let's get the day started!" Iruka's voice pulled my attention to the front of the classroom. I frowned. Naruto wasn't here yet. Oh well, I supposed it wasn't abnormal for him to be tardy. He would likely show up later in some sort of large and disruptive manner.

Iruka started class with a review of the previous week's lectures, for which I was grateful. Thankfully, it was over content I was fairly familiar with from my textbooks; however, I still took notes. I had been nothing if not a diligent student in my previous life and I was not going to let my GPA slide...even if such didn't exist here in this life. Iruka was an excellent teacher, even as he lectured, he managed to make the content interesting for eight year olds. I applauded his skillset.

Soon, it was time for physical training. Iruka set us to running around the training ground and I soon found myself at the front of the group, behind only Kiba. I smirked and pushed myself a little bit faster, feeling the burn in my legs. Kiba looked back at me as I gained on him and he gave growl, "Eat my dust, Uchiha!"

I laughed grateful that Kiba was keen to treat me as a rival. Either he was emotionally immature or simply didn't know about the massacre, but it seemed he simply wanted to beat me. I was fine with this.

I pushed myself and felt my lungs expand as I breathed. I pushed chakra to my legs and felt myself begin to speed up. Kiba also seemed to begin to push himself and soon we were neck and neck at the front of the pack. I laughed as we ran. Endorphins rushed through my brain as the air sped us by. I gave a grin to the Inuzuka who responded with a shake of his head and growl as he pushed himself. I felt myself begin to slip behind him. His speed and endurance was better than mine.

My sharingan activated, observing how he used the flow of chakra to enhance his body. He was less efficient with his chakra than I was, but the flow was more forceful. If I had to say, he had less chakra, but was using more of it in this instance. I wanted to win, but I was hesitant to push myself so.

"How does my dust taste, Sasuke?" Kiba laughed.

Fuck it.

I let more chakra flow through my body and felt myself fly forward at pace with Kiba, "I don't know! How does mine?" I laughed and took the lead. I could hear the boy behind me growl in anger, but for the rest of the run he was unable to catch up to me. As we came to an end, I heard him huffing and puffing, "Man, what did you do over your vacation? You never used to be that fast."

My vacation. I felt a twinge of pain in my chest. I suppose that was a word for it. No matter.

"Eh you still have more endurance!" I smirked back at him, "Only person who probably has more in class is Naruto."

Kiba gave me an odd look and asked in a confused voice,

"Who is Naruto?"

....

Fuck.

<End Chapter

 

[KillerFish]

Oh, that could be a problem.

 

[Determind]

Excellent twist, evil Asura does not reincarnate and Naruto thus does not exist.

 

[PrinceOfDoom]

"Who is Naruto?"

Click to shrink...

...Well, fuck.

Either its Naruko... which would be a delight... or something very, very bad happened.

...Then who is the container of the Kyubi?

Questions questions...

...and reasons to kill Danzo growing.

 

[tenmachi]

Questions questions...

...and reasons to kill Danzo growing.

Click to shrink...

Don't worry, we only get more reasons to dislike Danzo on days that end in 'y'.

 

[MadRatSly]

Hmm. There was a whole thing about Naruto failing the graduation exam several times which may imply either he needs to be held back before joining their class, or otherwise classes shift and change as students drop out or graduate and Naruto has yet to rotate into their class.

The fact the fourth is dead confirms the Kyuubi attack happened, and therefore "repelled" so I don't think it's a matter of him simply not existing.

 

[NotShirou]

..Well, fuck.

Either its Naruko... which would be a delight... or something very, very bad happened.

Click to shrink...

An interesting thing, the name Naruto is not masculine, it's neutral, so even if Naruto was a girl he could still use the name Naruto,although whenever the name Naruko appears we always think of female Naruto.

 

[Arthellion]

Not an update but, yeet! Reached the 100 watcher mark. Hope everyone is enjoying the story. Hope to have the next chapter up in the next day or two. Reviews and speculation are more than welcome

 

[Arthellion]

Chapter 6

"Who is Naruto?"

I felt a sick feeling begin to form in my stomach. Did Naruto not exist in this world? Maybe it was just he hadn't started classes yet? I offered an awkward smile, "Ah, sorry! I had some ramen last night and was thinking of narutomaki toppings! I meant Chouji!"

Kiba laughed, "I suppose it's easy to mistake Chouji for a food topping as much as he eats."

I offered a smile in return but internally I was freaking out. I wracked my memories for any knowledge of Naruto and found, to my dismay, that the only knowledge I had of the dumb blonde was from my previous life's memories. This was not good.

I fell quiet as Iruka moved us from endurance training to the target area. It was an open space with numerous targets in the shapes of bullseyes, wooden posts, and strawmen, but my mind was still far from what was happening. Had Naruto joined Sasuke's class later in canon? It was mentioned he failed the exam three times, but he was the same age as Sasuke. That meant the exams were likely something that happened throughout the year and just were more practice prior to the final graduation exam. It's possible Naruto was just in a different class rotation?

I felt sick to my stomach. If Naruto didn't exist, but other things like Kaguya did, I was well and truly screwed. I mean, it's possible I could succeed on my own, but the truth was, without Naruto, so many paths closed. Without us joining forces, there would be little hope of gaining the rinnegan and even less of the Sage offering to help me. Furthermore, I actually liked Naruto as a character. Sure, he was a little annoying at the beginning, but his character growth was truly excellent and his philosophy of life was one that this world desperately needed.

I sighed. Nothing could be done in the moment. My best bet was to keep my eyes and ears open and hope for the best.

"Sasuke, you're up," Iruka's voice broke me from my thoughts. He had another one of his concerned looks on his face and I felt myself irrationally annoyed once again. I get it. I just underwent a huge traumatic experience and you're worried about me. Rationally, I totally get it. I still felt anger bubble at being pitied.

I stepped forward and took a few of the shuriken from the pile. We were aiming for the wooden post this time. I could see where several had hit and others had flown past the wooden post into the area behind. I wouldn't miss.

I closed my eyes and took a breath. Focus. There would be time to ponder Naruto's absence later. For now, all that mattered was hitting the target. I had three shuriken in each hand, held loosely between my fingers. This was slightly cumbersome but shouldn't be too difficult. I'd practiced this with Itachi before.

I moved, relying on muscle memory and the pure talent that ran through my veins, and watched as my shuriken arced through the air.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Each of the shuriken found purchase in the thick wood and I heard gasps and yells of encouragement from the crowd of students behind me.

"Yatta! Way to go, Sasuke-Kun!"

Kun?

I frowned. I hadn't heard anyone else using honorifics. Everything had been in English. Well, wait, that was not totally true. I had thought of the Fire Style as Katon without ever really thinking about it and placed Sensei at the end of Iruka's name as well. That was odd.

As I walked back to join the group, I mentally catalogued different words. Fire Style was Katon, but Great Fireball remained in English. Fire Shadow was Hokage, but Lord Hokage was not Hokage-sama. Sensei was an honorific but Hime was not.

My brain hurt. This world's grammar was like some weird amalgamation of English and Japanese. It was then it dawned on me. It wasn't so much that I had transmigrated into the canon Naruto world. I had transmigrated into some fanon FanFiction world with weirdly interspersed Japanese words. Which meant my future knowledge was absolutely useless. This meant in the world, anything goes.

I felt sick to my stomach once again. I had knowledge, but it was not trustworthy. I could not reasonably rely on it so it should not factor into my beliefs.

In my introductory philosophy courses, I typically started with the field of Epistemology, a fancy word for the study of how we know what we know. It attempts to answer the question of "how do we have knowledge?" To state that an idea is knowledge, we would state that it is a justified true belief. A claim must be justified, or proven via evidence, true, or consistent with reality, and believed by the individual for it to be a claim of knowledge.

For example, I can make the claim that all swans are white. Because I believe that all swans are white, it is a belief. Additionally, this claim is justified because every swan I've seen is white and, as far as I'm aware, every other swan who has been seen by anyone was white; thus, it is justifiable. And finally it is most likely true because, as far as I'm aware, it is consistent with reality; however, it is only most likely true because it is entirely possible that somewhere there is a green swan swimming in a lake untouched by man. Thus, one of the chief principles of epistemology is the ideal of Epistemic humility. We act and reason as if we have knowledge, but we must possess humility and acknowledge that it is entirely possible that we were wrong.

In this instance, I had been acting as if I had knowledge, but was lacking in Epistemic humility. I wrongly assumed I had been teleported into the world of canon. In this world, it was entirely possible that Itachi really was a heartless killer and Kaguya did not exist at all. Still, there was enough of this world that was consistent with canon that I could at least use canon knowledge as potential theories, but, ultimately, I needed to rely upon the information that I possessed, not future knowledge.

"Sasuke, your turn again!"

I was broken from my thoughts and nodded. Enough thinking. Too much of that might actually get me killed in this world.

The rest of the day passed without much to speak of. It consisted almost entirely of different lectures interspersed with physical training. Iruka was not the only Sensei who would teach and would alternate with others as he took a break. I found that I was grateful that Iruka was my "home room teacher" as it were. The young man had a natural care for others and his style of teaching was quite accessible. Though none of the teachers were particularly bad, none lived up to Iruka's example.

"Would you like me to walk you home, Sasuke?" He approached as I was packing my bags for the day. I pursed my lips. I would not be opposed to the company, but I wasn't necessarily heading straight home.

"Ah, thanks for the offer, Sensei, but I'll be fine."

Iruka gave a concerned look but nodded and said, "Alright, but if you ever need anything, let me know alright."

I felt that same irritation bubble, but offered a smile all the same.

"Will do!"

The young-older shinobi nodded and turned back to his own things. I finished packing and made my way down the street. Classes ended around 4pm each day, so I still had time to do some training on my own and enjoy my evening.

I made my way through the village, my backpack on my shoulder. Occasionally a villager would give me an odd look, but I paid it no mind. I breathed in the energy that suffused this place and observed. One of the first things I noticed was that people were kind to each other. Very different from my own hometown of New York. When someone bumped into another they apologized. People smiled at each other and I could tell that there was a general affection that members of the Hidden Leaf had for one another. It was somewhat bizarre considering that one out of three citizens were soldiers that could kill dozens in an instant, but I suppose that is what Hiruzen spoke of when the Will of Fire was mentioned. The people of this village loved one another and would die for one another.

I felt affection bubble in my heart. My clan may be gone, but that did not mean I could not build a new family. I could love this village and protect it with everything I had.

It took some asking around, but eventually, I found where I was looking for. I stared at the sign hanging over the small restaurant: Ichiraku Ramen. Alright, time to see what this place was about.

"Welcome!" The kind voice of a young woman rang out from behind the counter. A middle-aged man could be further back prepping some food ingredients.

I took a seat at the bar and gave a friendly nod, "Hello, this is my first time here."

"Oh wonderful," the girl smiled brilliantly, "My name is Ayame Ichiraku! Will your parents being joining us?"

I saw her gaze extend past me expectantly and then towards me with a look of concern. I felt that same familiar ache of grief blossom in my chest and I felt my eyes begin to tear up. I swallowed and forced back the pain.

"Ah, my name is Sasuke Uchiha. I'm here on my own."

Her face seemed to fall as I said my name, but it did not last before she graced me with a smile once again. It was different this time though. Less exuberant and more…sincere.

"Ah, well welcome Sasuke. We are happy to serve you. Do you have a taste for anything in particular?"

I looked up at the menu and pursed my lips. I hadn't eaten much Japanese food in my past life, preferring more Italian and Hispanic dishes, but my younger self's memories were sufficient.

"I'll have the tonkatsu ramen, please."

Ayame nodded and yelled out, "Dad, one tonkatsu!"

"Will do, Ayame!"

I smiled softly at the interplay between the father and daughter. Despite the grief in my heart, it was also warming to see.

I sat patiently and observed the two as they worked. From a quality perspective, it was good to see that Teuchi was using fresh pork in the tonkatsu and, as Ayame worked, the pickled eggs looked fresh as well. I felt my stomach begin to growl as the smell of beef broth began to fill the air. Yeah, this was going to be good.

Soon a steaming hot bowl of ramen was placed before me and I gave Ayame and Teuchi a smile, "Thank you both so much!"

"Ah you're most welcome, Sasuke! Enjoy!"

I nodded and proceeded to eat. The first bite was heavenly…and so was the second. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the pork was seasoned in just the right manner. I took my time, enjoying the meal, but if this was the meal they ate in canon then Naruto was right. Ramen is the food of the gods.

I finished eating and paid quickly with a portion of the allowance partitioned to me for the month. I couldn't eat here every night, but I sure as hell was going to make it a weekly thing.

"Come back now, Sasuke!" Teuchi said with a smile and I gave a thumbs up.

"Absolutely!"

By this point it was just past five. Time for training I suppose.

The next few days past by in a similar manner. I would attend class, make myself dinner, and train until I was exhausted before heading to bed. In my training, I found I most loved running and practicing the Katon jutsu. Running with chakra was freeing, as if I was flying, and practicing Katon left me feeling warm inside. Soon, I would need to incorporate chakra control training, but for now I was just gaining a measure of what I could truly do.

In class, I mostly kept to myself, though I had seemed to develop a friendly rivalry with Kiba in our runs. The two of us were consistently at the front of the pack and would share good natured insults as we ran. I still had yet to see any sign of Naruto, however, and my concern grew. If he didn't exist…then everything rode on my shoulders.

And so, the following week, I made a choice and sat next to Shikamaru Nara.

 

[PrinceOfDoom]

An interesting thing, the name Naruto is not masculine, it's neutral, so even if Naruto was a girl he could still use the name Naruto,although whenever the name Naruko appears we always think of female Naruto.

Click to shrink...

I blame Ranma for that. Ranma kinda established that his female form's name was RanKO. So... Naruto getting Naruko kinda makes sense...

But yeah, the worry is growing here.

Damn it. Something bad better not have happened. Because whoever did is going to get Amaterasu'd.

 

[Dromuthra]

Most probable (assuming Naruto exists) is that Hiruzen either gave Naruto to Jiraiya or he was taken by Danzo. The former is obviously the FAR better option than an emotionless weapon with Kurama sitting inside it.

 

[Tennybro]

Most probable (assuming Naruto exists) is that Hiruzen either gave Naruto to Jiraiya or he was taken by Danzo. The former is obviously the FAR better option than an emotionless weapon with Kurama sitting inside it.

Click to shrink...

Then again, Naruto being taken by Danzo would provide a sort of role reversal for the story compared to Naruto's and Sasuke's canon roles. Which might be highly likely seeing as this Sasuke is highly introspective and philosophical.

 

[MossPiglet]

For example, I can make the claim that all swans are white. Because I believe that all swans are white, it is a belief. Additionally, this claim is justified because every swan I've seen is white and, as far as I'm aware, every other swan who has been seen by anyone was white; thus, it is justifiable. And finally it is most likely true because, as far as I'm aware, it is consistent with reality; however, it is only most likely true because it is entirely possible that somewhere there is a green swan swimming in a lake untouched by man.

Click to shrink...

Not sure if this was done intentionally, but not all swans are white. I mean there is the Black Swan Problem in philosophy , which is pretty relevant here, so I'm going with clever innuendo, but it's weird that the narrator either doesn't know about black swans or is intentionally misleading the reader.

 

[Amatsumi]

Or this is a fanfic Naruto in which he is being trained as an Emperor in a distant continent then just shows up as an overpowered civilian before graduation to be a genin.

 

[PrinceOfDoom]

And so, the following week, I made a choice and sat next to Shikamaru Nara.

Click to shrink...

Absolutely the best person to cultivate.

Because Shikamaru is going to be an amazing ally indeed in the future.

And I really, really hope Naruto just hasn't started yet. And is Naruko.

 

[Arthellion]

Not sure if this was done intentionally, but not all swans are white. I mean there is the Black Swan Problem in philosophy , which is pretty relevant here, so I'm going with clever innuendo, but it's weird that the narrator either doesn't know about black swans or is intentionally misleading the reader.

Click to shrink...

I'd like to say it's just super clever innuendo, but alas I must claim ignorance of black swans. Was going off of some of my historical philosophy books where that was one of the arguments. Good to know

I'll mention it as an Authors note in front of next chapter. Appreciate the knowledge!

 

[NotShirou]

Naruto could be training somewhere a bit far away, and also maybe the Hokage was smart and didn't tell the village about Naruto and what happened to the fox, they're civilians, they don't need to know that kind of information.

Naruto being trained with focus and making sure he can control Kurama's power would be an even higher priority after the village after all the losses they had suffered.

Sasuke has good reason to be worried, not having Naruto means having to deal with all this alone which is going to suck.

 

[Arthellion]

Author's Note: So black swans exist as was brought up by a reader. Apologies for that confusion. I was relying on one of my historical philosophy books for that section and it failed to mention black swans. Absolutely proves the point! Epistemic humility is always needed!



Chapter 7

I had chosen Shikamaru for several reasons. His skill set, status as heir of the Nara clan, and potential as a leader were all incredibly useful traits, but ultimately it was his intelligence that set him apart. Sure, I was happy to be friends with everyone, but I needed a friend who I could speak to as an equal. So many of the conversations with others likely threatened to test my sanity. One of the negatives of this transmigration was the emotional maturity gap that existed between myself and other students. Even Shikamaru was still just a kid, but he'd definitely be less annoying than some of the others.

And so, that second Monday, I sat beside him. His head was resting on the desk over his arms, and I wondered if he was actually asleep, but, slowly, he turned his gaze towards me, and his eyes were narrowed curiously. I chose not to say anything and instead focused on setting up my notepad and textbooks in preparation for the lecture.

He turned his head back and soon was fast asleep. Well, making friends was never easy. I did get a friendly nod from Chouji at least who sat on the other side of Shikamaru. Some progress. The day passed as normal, and I had Ichiraku for dinner. The stuff was addicting.

The next morning, I once again sat beside Shikamaru, and he gave me the same curious glance. This time he asked, "Is there a reason you've changed seats?"

"Am I imposing?" I raised my brow at him. He sighed and shrugged.

"No, it's just troublesome."

"Ah, do you mind explaining why?" I asked, genuinely curious if the other boy had a reason beyond mere annoyance.

He signed again and began to point at different classmates, "Hinata and Shino. Sakura and Ino. Kiba and you. Chouji and I. It's hierarchy and how people get paired together. Iruka likes to pair people who are already sitting close together and who are similarly close in skill on projects. You sitting close to me means I'm going to eventually get tagged with you on some project."

"And that's a bad thing?" I asked, slightly offended.

"Not really, just," he ran his fingers through his hair, "You're a perfectionist. You try to succeed at everything and honestly, it's an expectation that will be placed on me if we're partnered together, because I might enjoy my rest, but no way will I do less than my partner. It wouldn't be fair."

I felt my eyebrows raise. What do you know? Shikamaru had a moral compass. Sure, I knew he cared for his team and would do everything to make sure they survived, but this was more than that. It was an unwillingness to do less than his fair share. I could respect that.

"I can move," I offered. Sure, it meant I wouldn't cultivate as close as a friendship with Shikamaru, but I wasn't going to force it on him.

"Meh," he shrugged, "It's already too late. If you move now, I'll just feel bad and end up working harder anyways. You're a real drag."

The last words were said without any venom, and I found myself smirking, "Good to know me merely changing seats has had such a profound improvement on your life."

Shikamaru flicked a wad of paper at me as I dodged and laughed. He grumbled and laid his head back down on the desk. I shared a look with Chouji who had something of a vicious look in his eyes. That was different from the kind boy Sasuke knew. Chouji spoke,

"Ya know, Sasuke, we could use another member for when we play ninja after school. Would you like to join us?"

Shikamaru's groan caused the table to vibrate, and he said, "I've been betrayed. How could you, Chouji?"

"Consider it payback for last night when you were supposed to be the hunter but fell asleep!"

Ah, the look in Chouji's eyes was that of vengeance. I approved.

"You didn't wait that long." Shikamaru grumbled as Chouji yelled out,

"Two hours!"

I began to laugh at the interaction and noticed Chouji and Shikamaru's faces had softened. Soon, they were laughing too.

"Yeah, sounds good. I'd be happy to join you guys for a game or two."

"Good, this time someone can find Shikamaru and force him to actually run," Chouji said as he took a bite out of a bag of chips.

Shikamaru groaned once again. I was about to say something, but the arrival of Iruka derailed whatever it was I was about to say as he started in on a lecture regarding the tactics used during the First Shinobi World War.

The end of the school day came quickly, however, and soon I was with a group of boys a few blocks from the Academy. The rules of playing ninja were simple. One player was the hunter who would hunt and chase the other players. If a player was caught by the hunter, that player also became a hunter and helped catch others. The game lasted until everyone was a hunter or the one-hour timer ran out.

"Are we allowed to use jutsu to escape?" I asked. One of the older boys shook his head,

"Not all of us know jutsu yet, so to keep it fair, no jutsu allowed."

I nodded. Made sense. Technically the only jutsu I knew were the Great Fireball jutsu and Shunshin, so I supposed it would not exactly be fair to roast a kid for a children's game. Shunshin's speed would also be unfair for those unable to keep up. Still, it would be nice to add the three academy jutsu to the game once we had mastered those. Oh well, enough planning for now.

"To start, the boundaries for the game are anywhere within half a mile of the Academy. No hiding in any businesses or high civilian areas. Everyone clear?"

We all nodded.

"Aright, I'll be a hunter first. You have five minutes to clear the area. Begin!"

I leapt into the air, using chakra to enhance my jump, and landed on one of the nearby rooftops. I'd need to figure out a good location to hide from the hunter, but one too with the optimal opportunity to escape. I made my way over to one of the water towers and hid beneath the lid on one of the metal grates. The high vantage point would allow me to see anyone coming without being seen unless they were looking at a specific angle. Fingers crossed this would be enough. I began to wait.

About twenty minutes passed. I saw a few of the kids run along the streets below, but none of them looked up. I found myself grow a bit concerned. I knew they were only kids, but the situational awareness was atrocious. If I had been an enemy shinobi, it would have been simple to snipe them with a kunai.

I continued to observe and wait. Eventually, I saw Shikamaru lazily making his way down the road at a leisurely walk. I figured he must have already been caught if he was walking out here so casually and made certain to push myself closer to the water tower. Shikamaru suddenly looked up and we locked eyes. I frowned as he smirked. The Nara heir continued walking down the street in a lackadaisical manner. What was he up to?

I pondered ditching my hiding spot but decided to give it a few more minutes and see if anything would happen. Several minutes later, Shikamaru appeared again down on the street corner. I frowned. Why would he be walking the same direction? Unless...

I leapt from my spot to another roof just as hands swiped at where my ankles had been. I gave a laugh, "Nice try, Chouji! You almost got me."

The Akimichi Clan Heir gave a frustrated scowl, but smiled after a moment and said, "Next time, Sasuke!"

I nodded and took off across the rooftops. Several other hunters were making their way towards my location. Chouji did not follow, knowing that my speed was far beyond his. Still, that stealth was pretty impressive from the Akimichi. Very impressive.

I continued running across the rooftops. I had about another twenty minutes before the game would end. Several of the hunters were trying to corner me, but I was easily able to weave my way through them by hopping down onto the street and then up onto other rooftops. Several of the hunters obviously didn't have the chakra control necessary yet to perform such feats, so I found it fairly easy to leap over their heads as they attempted to grab me. I was tempted to just find another hiding spot but avoiding being caught was more fun and I found it useful training. Obviously, there was never a need to activate my Sharingan.

Time was almost up, and I began making my way to the "home base" as it were. Hadn't been too difficult to run on ahead of my pursuers. I smiled as I saw the post that held the timer. Ten seconds and I'd be home free.

Suddenly, I felt something tighten around my ankle and I was hoisted into the air. Shit! I hadn't been looking for traps. As I hung in the air, I turned to see Shikamaru making his way from around a corner with a smirk on his face, "Eh, Sasuke? Didn't think I'd catch you in that one."

I scowled and crossed my arms, "Let me down, you moron."

Shikamaru chuckled and quickly undid the trap. I gave him an annoyed nod, "That was a good plan."

"Ah thanks. I figured someone would eventually be stopping back by before the timer ended. Just didn't expect it to be you."

"Ah, you caught him Shikamaru!" Chouji huffed as he came running from around the corner. The Nara gave Chouji a proud smirk and I scowled. Damn it. I'd have to be more careful in the future. Still, it was quite impressive of Shikamaru to think that far ahead.

"Ah, ah!" One of the boys yelled out as everyone was slowly congregating back at the post, "Looks like the hunters win today! Nice work, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru shrugged as the compliment and said, "I didn't do that much."

"Still, pretty impressive to catch someone as fast as Sasuke!"

Several of the other boys started to agree and were complimenting me on my speed. I felt myself flush with pride. Sure, it was a result of my natural talent and superior chakra control, but it was still nice to be recognized for my skills. I graciously gave a smile and said thanks to those who gave the words of encouragement.

"Eh Sasuke, would you like to join us for dinner?" Chouji asked as more of the boys began to disperse. I looked towards him and Shikamaru. I could see the barest hint of concern in their eyes, and I felt my annoyance bubble. That same look of pity. I imagine someone had told the two of them about what had happened. I closed my eyes and sighed. Despite my annoyance, dinner sounded nice.

"Ah, are you eating out or?" I asked.

"Nah, Chouji's mom makes dinner for our families on Tuesdays, but you're more thank welcome to join us," Shikamaru offered with a smile. I swallowed. Family. I couldn't deny the grief that threatened to overtake me at that point, but I forced out a smile and said,

"Ah yeah. Sounds great."

Chouji and Shikamaru gave a smile, and we were soon making our way towards the Akimichi compound. The easy comradeship between the two was obvious and I felt lucky to be included. I knew that Sasuke in canon had maintained an aura of aloofness and wouldn't have been caught dead just socializing, but I was not him. Grief and rage existed in my heart, but I would not allow Itachi to steal my life from me.

As we approached the compound, I noticed several guards with the the Akimichi clan markings apparent upon their clothing give me odd looks. I supposed it was understandable. The Uchiha Clan, while not overtly antagonistic, had never been excessively friendly to the Nara or Akimichi clans due to their close alliance with the Senju. It was difficult to become especially friend when your families had warred against each other for generations. Personally, I refused to allow past grudges to dictate my future. I gave the guards a friendly smile as we entered the home.

The home was spacious, somewhat more so than my own, with a large open concept. We removed our shoes and made our way down the corridor. As we passed the kitchen, a large woman with brunette stuck her head out and gave us a warm smile. Her smile dimmed ever so slightly as she saw me, but returned brilliantly after a moment, "Ah! Chouji, you didn't tell me Sasuke would be joining us tonight! Please go get another place set!"

"Ah sorry mom, but sure!" Chouji rushed past his mother, and I gave a deep bow, "Ah, my apologies for the inconvenience, Lady Akimichi, but Chouji was kind enough to offer dinner and I could not refuse famous Akimichi cooking."

"You're quite the charmer aren't you, dear?" she laughed and patted my head, "You're always welcome, Sasuke. It is no inconvenience at all."

I gave a smile even as I heard Shikamaru mutter under his breath, "Wish my mom was this nice."

Chouji's mom had the good grace to ignore the statement and merely pinched Shikamaru's cheek, "Your mother and father are in the dining room with the others. Why don't you go on in?"

I could see Shikamaru's discomfort and covered a laugh with my hand. It was amusing to see my friends interacting with the adults. Friends. I paused. Had I so quickly begun to view Shikamaru and Chouji as friends? As I followed behind Shikamaru, my eyes on his pineapple shaped haircut, I decided that yes, he and Chouji were my friends. A smile rested on my face.

We entered a large dining room with a lowered table and pillows upon the ground. Shikamaru's parents and Chouji's father were already seated at the table and eating what appeared to be some small appetizers. I was surprised, however, to see Inoichi, his wife, and Ino seated at the table.

As she saw me, Ino gave a light "yeep!" and hid behind her mother. I chuckled silently to myself. While somewhat awkward, it was humorous to see the girl hiding behind her mother. The adults in the room gave a nod as Shikamaru and I entered and Chouza heartedly let out, "Welcome! Please take a seat!"

He gestured to a few open spaces, and I took a seat between Shikamaru and Chouji. I felt…awkward. As if intruding on a moment I had no business being in, but this lasted barely a moment before Shikamaru's mother spoke, "I don't believe Sasuke's met everyone here, so shall we share names?"

"Ah yes!" Chouza let out with a boisterous boom, "My name is Chouza. I assume you met my wife Chokisu when you entered?"

I nodded and smile, "Yes, Lord Akimichi. Your wife was very hospitable and welcoming!"

"Ah, Nah, Nah!" Chouza smiled, "None of that now. Just call me Chouza. You can save the Lord Akimichi stuff for when you're on the village council! Heh."

I nodded. I hadn't thought of that. My younger self's memories did speak of Fugaku's attendance at different council meetings so I supposed it made sense that I would one day have similar responsibilities. I turned my thought from the future to the Naras as Shikamaru's mother spoke,

"My name is Yoshino and this man I get to call my husband is Shikaku," she gestured to the Jounin Commander who was in the middle of a shot of sake. The man raised his hand haphazardly and gave a slight nod, "Yo!"

"And eh, we've already met," Inoichi spoke up, "But this is my wife Hanasu. And you obviously know Ino."

As Inoichi mentioned her name, the blonde girl finally seemed to gather her courage and looked out from around her mother's arm and gave a wave, "Hey, Sasuke. You did amazing with the shuriken today!"

I gave Ino a smile, "Thanks, Ino. You didn't do so bad yourself!"

She really hadn't. Of the girls in the class, Ino was easily the top kunoichi and was honestly second only to myself in overall scores. She was also far more sociable than myself and had quite the friend group. It couldn't hurt to be nice to the girl, but I hoped it wouldn't cause any over the top affections to develop.

"Hah, I'm very proud of my daughter and her skills!" Inoichi said with a smile and his wife gave a soft smile.

That's my boy.

I internally winced and felt that familiar grief worm its way into my heart. I didn't belong here. Not with happy families. I should be training and preparing to kill Itachi. And yet, it felt so nice to be in this room.

"Eyy Shikamaru, are you gonna let a girl show you up?" Yoshino asked with a smirk. I could tell Shikamaru grew annoyed at the words from his mom as he angrily took a bite from the table. I felt the urge to defend my friend,

"Shikamaru is very skilled in tactical analysis. He caught me with a trap while we were playing Ninja today."

I saw Shikamaru's eyes widen slightly, and he gave a slight nod of gratitude. The pleased look on Yoshino's face was odd. I wondered what she was thinking.

"Why do boys play Ninja still? It's not like we aren't already actual ninja at the academy," Ino huffed. I was about to respond before Inoichi beat me to it.

"It's a good game and useful for developing skills on the battlefield. Shikaku, Chouza, and I developed a lot of our teamwork initially playing games like that throughout the village."

Ino huffed, but any further conversation was cut off as Chokisu entered with a large steaming skillet of grilled meats and vegetables. The rest of the meal passed pleasantly with light conversation and friendly banter between the adults. Shikamaru, Chouji, and I felt into a fun conversation ourselves talking about class and, for the first time since arriving in this world, I felt like everything was going to be okay.

As we finished eating, I stated that I needed to head on back to my estate before it started getting darker. I was given a large box with leftovers to take home by Chokisu who absolutely insisted that I take it. I was not one to deny such tasty food that would last me for several days at least.

As I said my goodbyes to my friends and made my way out the door, I noticed Shikaku standing outside with a cigarette in his hands. The man noticed me and said, "Sasuke, it was good to have you join us tonight."

I gave a short bow, "I hoped I wasn't an intrusion. I know the Uchiha have not always been close with your families."

Shikaku shook his head and said, "Times change and so do alliances." He sighed and flicked some of the cigarette embers onto the ground, "Your father and I didn't always see eye to eye, but he was a good man and a powerful shinobi. I was honored fight alongside him several times during the Third Shinobi World War. If you ever want stories about Fugaku of the Wicked Eye, don't hesitate to ask."

I felt my throat grow dry and I gave a nod.

"Thank you, Lord Nara."

He took a deep drag of the cigarette and flicked the remainder of the butt onto the ground, "I know what paths the Uchiha take when they desire power, but there are other paths. The paths of friendship and bonds are more powerful than those of hatred. Don't forget that."

I felt my lips thin. Mangekyou.

"Sasuke, if you hurt my son, I'll kill you."

I nodded and offered after a moment,

"I'm not Itachi. I won't walk his path."

"See that you don't."

-End Chapter