The Light Of Hope (A Naruto Timetravel Fanfic)

Chapter 13

Sasuke woke up on his bed, feeling a bit numb yet so tired.

The last thing he remembered was pleading with his brother in the bathroom.

Blinking his eyes, he turned to face the window and only became aware that it was already sundown, meaning he slept for 6 hours straight and its already dinner.

'If scars or past injuries would appear this way after triggering the side effects, it would only make things even harder to explain, especially in the presence of witnesses.'

He then heard the door to his room gently open and close as he lay listless without a care, already knowing who it could be.

"You're awake."

He felt a shuffle beside his bed and a hand was placed on his forehead making him blink and slowly faced his brother, who looked at him in worry but at the same time with scrutiny.

"You missed lunch."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted as he once again faced the window, not caring if its out of character since it could only be explained by what they already know.

Or seem to know.

Hearing a sigh, he felt his brother took a seat by the side of his bed and heard him asking, which he already anticipated.

"What's really going on, Ototo? I won't be able to help, if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Silence.

"Sasuke." Itachi looked at his little brother seriously and questioned him persistently.

"Can you at least tell me? You have to understand that since you have already awakened your Sharingan and trained it to maturity, you will inevitably come to face many people questioning how you've done it and details about your uprising potential. Especially for how long you've been hiding it from us."

Pursing his lips, Sasuke slowly tried to sit up straight only to feel a sting of pain from his back, nearly causing him to fall back down when his brother immediately caught him and helped steady his body.

"Are you alright?" Itachi truly felt conflicted.

He knew that his brother is hiding something. Big and deep ones if it would make him this secretive, making it difficult for him to even confide in someone.

Especially to him, from his own elder brother whom he could always trust.

Since his little brother would always share things with him, no matter how ridiculous it is.

But now. He actually refrained himself from doing that. To the point where, Itachi himself isn't even aware of what and how did it become like this.

It truly unsettled him, for his beloved little brother is just a 6 year old innocent child.

Whom he took great pains in hiding him away from the harsh, cruel reality of their clan and from the life of a shinobi.

Worst yet, its also a possibility that he is in hiding because someone had threatened him and quite possibly put a powerful genjutsu over his injuries as to not alert anyone, for such wound didn't even appear when he got examined at the hospital.

Indicating a plausible involvement of someone who could have caused the current state of his brother.

He definitely won't give up finding the truth and protect his brother from further harm.

He won't even mind seeking the culprit out himself to quench his anger.

"...'m sorry..." Sasuke whispered with his head lowered down, doing his best not to let anything slip and just do his part of the plan.

Now that he also felt the presence of his mother and father hiding behind the door to his room, listening in to their conversation.

"I-I just..." he fists his blanket with agitation,  letting his chakra go a bit disarray as it normally should.

"Take your time, Otōto."

A pause.

"It was a year ago when it happened." He finally begun, making Itachi frown as he listened.

"Nii-san was out in a mission that time and Otou-sama was busy in the station. Okaa-sama was cleaning the house and I was outside in our backyard playing. At that time, I didn't know why but I suddenly felt like going through the woods behind our house. So I took off running..." he took a shuddering breath with Itachi tightening his grip on his shoulders.

With a faint shuffling can be heard from the door.

"What happened next, Otōto?"

"I arrived at the village wall. Or so I thought I had... the atmosphere was bit weird and there wasn't any animal sound. So I panicked. I felt so scared that I run and run and run..." he felt his breath quicken as he recalled series of events from the war where they were cornered to retreat.

"Breathe Sasuke, breathe..." Itachi comforted as he felt rage at the person who inflicted such harm on him.

"I-I almost thought I was going to die. That I couldn't go back because I couldn't find my way home. It was all endless trees..." he groaned as he felt nauseated at the sheer emotions that came flooding him in, when Itachi suddenly took him in his arms.

"U-Until a m-man with a white mask came to r-rescue me. I-I thought he did though, because I wasn't in the woods anymore but all I felt was pain... pain... it really really hurts Nii-san... the pain on my back..." he cried into his brother's chest.

Remembering his guilt and shame after ending the life of his beloved elder brother.

"Shh... its ok, Otōto... you're here now... you're safe... I won't let him hurt you again."

"I-I remember... hic... h-him saying that I-I was a nuisance. A-A threat to his plans. T-That he'll kill me a-and you if I w-were to tell anyone. T-That I should just m-mind my own business... But it was really an accident! I didn't mean to!" He shouted in desperation, startling those who are listening.

"What, Sasuke? What was an accident?"

"I-I..."

"...It's ok, Otōto... he won't be able to hurt you anymore... Otou-sama and I will protect you... you are safe here... you can tell me..." Itachi coaxed, desperate for more details.

"You don't know that!" Sasuke suddenly pushed Itachi away, causing him to stumble out of his bed as he looked at him with widened eyes, not expecting such a reaction.

"He's not an enemy that can be easily killed! He already tried to bring chaos to our clan. In fact, he's one of the major reasons why we are in conflict with the village in the first place!" His Sharingan furiously swirled in eyes in response to his anger at a certain warhawk.

Stunned, Itachi stood dumbfounded at the words his 6 year old brother just spouted.

Bang!

"And pray tell to what do you mean by that?" Fugaku spoke with seriousness with his eyes narrowed at his youngest child, with his hand holding the door open, revealing Mikoto, who stood covering her mouth in shock.

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