“Setsune-san?”

Takumi had the happiest eyes.

Yu struggled till her last breath…

Chi was happy whenever she saw him…

She looked so pale.

“PLEASE WAKE UP!”

 ::

“Mummy!”

Sasuke jumped up, panting harshly and geared to...fight?

To fight what? What could he fight? What could he do now when he couldn’t do anything back then?

Then.

As if it was such a long time ago. As if their faces had faded into the abyss of his memories and the dead eyes of his mother were but a nostalgic dream. As if there wasn’t a dull pain in his heart; dried tears straining his cheeks; memories still running through his mind like flashes of a camera.

Sasuke clutched his shirt, squeezing so hard his nails dug into the skin beneath the fabric. 

Death. 

Itachi had told him what it meant once. 

“Brother?”

 Itachi was not a fan of physical contact, and Sasuke knew this, so he kept his distance, placing one foot out the door in case his presence upset his elder brother. 

 Though watching his older brother weep made Sasuke feel like he wouldn’t dare leave, even if Itachi begged him to.

 
He had never seen anyone from his family show such emotion. Even his age mates who wailed over little things did not shake as much as Itachi was shaking now, nor scrunch up their faces like they were being punched in the gut. 

 
He didn’t understand it.

“What happened?” Sasuke couldn’t hear his own voice. It felt like a whisper compared to the loud cries of his older brother.

 
Ever since Itachi put on that elite uniform, Sasuke had seen him as one of the adults; strong, stone-faced, and emotionless, never showing an ounce of weakness. But as he watched his brother weep, he thought maybe Itachi was more of a child than he ever realized.

 After all, only children cried.

 
“They’re dead.”

Sasuke frowned. ‘Dead?’ 

Itachi repeated his words like a broken mantra. “They’re all dead.”

 
Then Itachi looked up, finally meeting the eyes of his younger brother, who recoiled, shocked by the amount of emotion in the onyx abyss.

“They’re gone forever and I’m the only one left here.”

So he would never hear the laughs of his cousin Chi, nor would he see Setsune’s teasing smile again. Zabu and Yu were gone. And his mother…

Every smile. Every hug. Every time she looked into his eyes and assured him everything would be fine.

It was all over and she was forever gone.

His mother was dead.

The thought alone brought an epiphany that broke his calm facade and twisted his insides until all Sasuke could do was fall to the floor and cry.

At that time, he didn’t understand what had made Itachi shed tears. But now, looking back, he could almost feel his brother’s pain. The way his body shook, the distraught look that clouded his face, the tears that pooled from his red eyes.

Sasuke felt it all.

And for the first time, he completely understood Itachi’s words.

They were all dead. While he was left to live, all alone.

: : 

 Deep down Sasuke had hoped that if he were to fall asleep again, he would somehow wake up to the faces of those who he lost, and that cold night would just be a vivid nightmare.

But instead he woke up once again to the sound of pouring rain, and the little sliver of hope he had before he cried himself to sleep, disappeared.

Reality stared right at him, waiting for Sasuke to accept the truth.

This time, Sasuke did not wake up from a horrific nightmare. He got up slowly, able to adjust to his surroundings and think of things other than the obvious loss glaring at him. He ignored the dull ache in his chest and the memories replaying in his head, rather occupying himself with his surroundings and trying to make sense of it all.

He wasn’t in his room. His room was bright, with games and pictures of shinobi heroes. But this one…the walls, the desks, the wardrobe-everything, was a shade of grey. The room was bleak, but it wasn’t only because of the colouring, Sasuke realized. The light that shone through the small window was not as bright as it would’ve been if the sun was out.

It was because of the rain, which didn’t sound like a downpour, more like a soft drizzle. And that was all he could hear.

Strange.

On any day in Konoha, you could hear the chatter of the market men from a mile away, the sound of children laughing, and once in a while, shinobi would get into fights in the streets. Where was he? Certainly not in the Uchiha compound, but was he in another house that was on the outskirts of Konoha? Is that why his surroundings felt so dull? 

He shifted, slowly moving off the bed and towards the window, and yelped when his bare feet touched the ground, surprised at how cold it really was. Once he peered outside, a shocking revelation slapped him right in the face.

Wherever he was, it wasn’t in Konoha.

The buildings were incredulously tall and lined with pipes that he only saw on the ground in Konoha. In the distance, he could see some neon signs here and there.

The only building that seemed different in construction was the one that looked like a grotesque painting of a face. And Sasuke didn't want to see any more haunting images, so he diverted his attention to the narrow streets below.
 

He observed the people who walked around either in cloaks or with an umbrella. They were not Konohans, which was just as obvious in their dressing as it was in their behaviour.

 A Konohan’s motives could be deciphered from a mile away. Sasuke could tell what they wanted most of the time, be it acknowledgment, or revenge, or love, or peace. These people, however, seemed shady. They walked as if they were being chased. They idly chattered in low whispers like they could tell someone was listening in to their conversation. Even the way they looked around seemed suspicious. 

He couldn’t tell what their motives were because, unlike Konohans, they were actively trying to hide it.

He peered outside for a few more seconds, before turning around and sitting on the cold floor. 

If he didn’t feel so numb, he would have freaked out.

“Where am I?”

A different village. It had to be a different village. But which village was it? He had heard of the Great Five, but none of them fit the description. Was he in one of those smaller villages, then? Why was he here? How did he get here?

A blurry memory of pinwheels and a spinning room came to mind. 

‘Wait…there was a man there? He said something about me being safe...and something else. Why can’t I remember it?’

Sasuke rubbed his forehead in frustration. ‘Why is that the only part of that night I can’t remember? Who was he? Why was he there? And why am I here now?’

 “You’re in Ame, kid.”

The voice sounded far away, like a background noise to the memories that still cut fresh. 

Sasuke mumbled distantly, “Ame?” 

Then there were thuds, like a knock on the door, or footsteps. Sasuke didn’t pay heed to it, burying himself further between his knees and trying to make the images go away.

In a heartbeat, a loud noise shook him out of his state and into the world around him.

If he hadn’t seen a massacre, the sound of nails scratching against a window would have been the most painful thing to ever experience. It as a grating sound that went through his insides and out, the shrillness sending a harsh shiver down his spine. Sasuke recoiled, barricading his ears from the noise with his hands.

“Good to see that got your attention. Really, I was  beginning to think you were deaf.” 

 Sasuke looked up with disdain in his eyes, and disdain turned to shock the moment he laid his eyes upon–

What?

Staring down at him was a man he had never seen in his short lifetime, holding a kunai against the window above him. But that was not what shocked Sasuke. The stranger was literally blue, with lines on his face that resembled gills, the eyes of a fish, and the grin of a shark.

Sasuke blinked twice.

Then rubbed his eyes.

Then he slapped himself.

The blue man did not disappear. Instead, he spoke once again, smirking. “Is my appearance that shocking?”

A man that looked like a fish was talking to him.

A man that looked like a fish existed. 

Sasuke, a five-year-old boy who had never seen anyone apart from Uchiha and Konohans, did the most reasonable thing a child could do when coming across a literal shark monster.

He fainted.

: : 

Danzou knew killing Uchiha civilians was a risky move. But as risky as it was, he believed it was good enough conditioning for the Uchiha clan, akin to caning a bunch of rabid dogs. 

The Uchiha were planning to eject all potential threats before starting a war, as his dog had told him. That included the Fourth Hokage, the nine tailed Jinchuuriki, the Ino-Shika-Cho team, and most importantly, himself

Frankly, if the other targets weren’t such good military weapons, Danzou would not care less what would happen to any of the shinobi. The Fourth Hokage was a wallflower, blindly grasping to naïve ideals and trying to solve every problem with candy-like methods. And Danzou absolutely hated the fact that the only reason he was suitable for the office was because of his strength as a shinobi. There was so much more to that seat other than filing paperwork and fighting invaders, and because the Hokage were poorly chosen, it was left to him to carry the rest of the burden. 

The heads of the clans were powerful, but replaceable. Surely one of their children, or even relatives, could take their place if they were to fall. 

Kushina was a bit tricky. Danzou could conclude that since she hadn’t been attacked yet, that the Uchiha were planning to take her down when the seal to the nine tails was at its weakest; childbirth. Once the nine tailed beast was out, the Uchiha would use their powerful eyes to control it, and gain victory in the war.

In order to stop that from happening, the nine tails would have to be sealed immediately. But it wasn’t just anybody who could bear the burden. It had to be a person with Uzumaki blood, related to Kushina.

It was a no brainer that the next jinchuriki would be either Naruto or the soon-to-be-born child. 

Danzou had made plans so it wouldn’t boil down to that, anyway, which had begun with the Uchiha Civilian genocide. 

“Danzou sama.”

Quickly, Danzou snapped out of his thoughts to address his ANBU dog; Uchiha Shisui. 

Uchiha Shisui, the man—no, the boy, who wiped out half his clan, and was ready to take on the other. 

“What brings you here today? Is there any news from the Uchiha compound?”

Shisui looked up. “Yes, Danzou sama. Rumours have been going around that Itachi was the one behind the massacre, so my name is in the clear. Also, Uchiha Fugaku seems to be too busy trying to dispute those rumours and grieving over the loss of his wife to even think about the revolution.”

Danzou smirked slightly, pleased with the news he was getting. 

(He didn't notice that Shisui did not mention Fugaku's son.) 

Although, he knew that it was a temporary solution, and more measures would have to be taken to ensure the Uchiha were kept under wraps. 

“However, there is bad news.”

Danzou’s smirk dropped. 

“The heads of the Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clan have been murdered.”

‘Oh, well.'

"Is this recent?" Danzou questioned. Because surely, if the heads of one of the most important clans in Konoha were murdered, the entire village would be thrust into social chaos. And a meeting would be held. 

"It is recent. I found their bodies hidden deep in the forest of death once dawn came." 

'So they were killed hours after a massacre?'

“Hm, a shame." Frankly, he couldn't care less about them. All that bothered him was that a vital part of the military strength had been taken out in just a night. 

Danzou raised a brow. "By the Uchiha?” 

It was an obvious retaliation. One that a part of him expected, but another feared. Because retaliation only brought about one truth. 

They were a mere move away from the beginning of a civil war. 

Shisui slowly shook his head. “No, the Uchiha did not conspire to kill them so I’m sure that only one or two shinobi are the culprits.” 

He paused, as if deliberating what to tell Danzou. 

In the end, he sighed.

(Because why try to switch sides now when the damage had already been done?) 

"Itachi did not come home that night. I am sure it was his brash way of retaliating to my attack." 

Danzou uncharacteristically chuckled, taking both himself and Shisui aback. 

Contrary to his actions, he wasn't amused. Actually, he was pissed at the entire situation. Pissed at the Uchiha, for being so difficult in negotiations. Pissed at the Uchiha for being such a valuable yet feared asset to Konoha. 

And most of all, he was pissed at Itachi, for fighting against the system both Danzou and his predecessors spent a century building. 

And all Danzou could think was 'How dare they? How dare he?' 

Itachi was supposed to keep the peace of Konoha. 

So how dare he choose the wrong side? 

"That Uchiha boy…" Danzou squeezed his eye shut, keeping his anger at bay. He did not want to waste his emotions on a traitor. 

Especially when–

"What shall I do, Danzou sama?"

–he had another dog to control. 

"I want Itachi dead by tomorrow." Danzou opened his eye, looking at his masked Uchiha. "Gather allies if you must. Make sure that Itachi is assassinated before the war begins."

“Yes, Danzou sama.” Shisui paused. “There is one last thing…”

The silence that followed made Danzou feel uneasy. 

“What?” He demanded. 

Even if he didn't have a mask on, Danzou wouldn't have been able to tell what Shisui was thinking. 

Shisui sighed. “I have failed you, Danzou sama."

"How do you mean?" 

Shisui knew he would face the consequences for what he did, or rather, for what he didn't do. But he was prepared to face anything his master had for him, for the sake of the promise he made to the man he was ordered to kill. 

"Shisui, we may have our political differences…"

"My kill count for the massacre was thirty two."

"... and someday, we will face each other because of it…"

Danzou raised a brow, growing impatient. "And?"

Shisui could've just lied. He could've stayed quiet and Danzou wouldn't have even looked up on the matter. 

But breaking one rule was enough to torment Shisui. He couldn't break another. 

That's just badly how the system had manipulated him. 

"...but I have a request–no, I'm pleading with you."

Shisui was walking between friendship and duty, and neither side could  have everything. 

"I ask of this, not as a clan member, nor as a fellow ANBU."

The room felt stuffy.

"What is it?" Danzou's voice was cold, and Shisui recognized that voice as the one he used when he was thinking of disposing of someone. 

Shisui hoped that wasn't the case.

"I ask this as a friend."

"There are–were thirty three civilians in the Uchiha household."

Danzou's eye widened, realising what he was trying to say. 

His voice sent a chill through Shisui. "Who did you spare?" 

"Please, if worst comes to worst in this cold war…"

His words felt too loud. 

"Sasuke."

If looks could kill, Shisui would be five feet under by now. 

"I spared Uchiha Sasuke." Shisui bowed his head in resignation. "And now he is nowhere to be found."

"...don't do any harm to my little brother."