So, basically, I said Miyako was an Uchiha and stuff in the last chapter, and I wanted to address anyone's opinion on it being too..cliche? I'm sorry if it was. But I had planned this since the beginning and thought it would be a good idea. I hope it was..but if any of you are against this, I apologize about it... but really I wanted to try out the "another uchiha" type of thing, something like that. Anyways please enjoy the rest of this chapter, it's gonna be the last one before the epilogue.
ALSO, LONG CHAPTER AHEAD
"What's this?"
"I found it in your hand after that fight with Itachi. I don't know how you got it, though."
Miyako flipped it over in her hand. It was a coin-shaped metal, but had a small ring attached to the end, meaning it was probably a pendant or charm. The insignia had been worn down to the point where it was unidentifiable.
her nimble fingers continued to feel the surface of the object. It was stained a dark brown, close to black, and had a weirdly watery scent. She felt around the grooves of the pendant, until she realized they weren't grooves, but engravings. Examining the side of the pendant, she found it read F O U N T A I N
The edges were worn down, but it was readable.
"What day do we leave?" Miyako asked, getting up to put on her slacks. She slipped off her hospital gown and replaced it with a baggy beige shirt. After shoving her sandals on and tightening her bands, she buttoned on her cloak.
"In five days, why?" Miyako sheathed her katana and attached it to her belt.
"Can we visit the fountain? You know, the one in the center of town?"
"Yeah, sure."
There probably is more than one fountain in Konoha, but the one in the center of town was the oldest of all. It was before the Uchiha Massacre and the rising tension of Konoha, sometime when the village was a budding settlement of opportunities and bright faces. The fountain itself was dedicated to the Uchiha clan. However, after the Massacre, people only view it as a wishing well, especially when the carving of the Clan's symbol had faded by the running water.
Sayaka had to take care of some things with the Hokage, most likely to ask the status of Hiruzen Sarutobi. Thankfully, he survived the Konoha Invasion, however it took quite a toll on him, especially when facing his past student. This was why Tsunade was brought in, to not only heal Orochimaru's near-impossible poisons (which reminded Sayaka of Sasori, that little puppet), but to serve as a substitute for a while. Unwillingly, she took up the place of the office, but eased into it quite easily.
So here Miyako was, alone at the fountain, looking like some fool. Sayaka had dropped her off with a small goodbye and some dango sticks. After the hospital incident, Miyako had been a tad bit quiet.
As she crossed around the fountain, staring at the bright, running water, she came across a young boy.
The Uchiha's younger brother.
The one I fought alongside with in the invasion.
Does he still hold a grudge? It seemed like it, from the way he glared at her. Or does he always look at people like that? "What brings you here, Uchiha-san?"
"None of your business..." He trailed off awkwardly, realizing he had no idea what the woman's name was. She doesn't even know mine either, yet she threw me around like that. "What's your name?"
"None of your business, Uchiha-san." Miyako responded, sitting on a nearby bench. The boy followed her there, yet kept his distance and sat on the other side of the bench. He's probably here for the dango sticks.
So she handed him one. He took one, hesitantly.
"Call me Sasuke, not Uchiha-san." He muttered as he ate the dango stick.
Sasuke. "Sasuke..." Miyako said out loud, testing the same. It sounded quite familiar, way too familiar to be someone she tailed, someone she encountered for a split second, or just a simple stranger.
She looked at the boy. He looked shaken. "You alright, Sasuke-san?" She raised a hand, hesitantly approaching him as she crossed five feet of bench wood to reach him. The moment she got close he slapped her hand away weakly.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Why are you here anyway?" He grumbled, finishing the dango.
"I'm here for the same reason you are," At that, Sasuke froze. "I saw the pendant in your hand when I handed you the dango. If you want to become a jounin, you should do better with hiding your motives."
"I know that," he snapped. Hideki's already gotten on me for that. What is she, a sister now?
"Why do you have that?" She questioned.
"It's not your business to know." Sasuke said, backing away as much as he could--which, wasn't much, since he risked falling off the bench.
"Oh, but it is." Is sass the only emotion she can show? Sasuke thought as Miyako reached in her pouch and pulled out the same pendant he carried in his hand, the same exact faint carving. "We have the same one, correct? Who gave it to you?"
"...Itachi Uchiha."
She nodded. "Me too."
Sasuke snapped his head towards the woman. What?
...---...
Miyako knew well that the boy she was conversing with was an Uchiha. However, she chose to doubt what Sayaka had told her, which was a rare occurrence (to be honest, it never happened before). She found no relation between her and Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. Not only that, but if Itachi had known such a thing, wouldn't he have told her already?
But he kind of did, she realized. What's that thing he used to say--
"You family never wanted you."
"Father threw you out like you were nothing..."
"You never belonged with us."
She felt something ache in her chest hearing those words. However, not knowing what it meant, she brushed it off. She looked at the boy beside her. He's the brother, right? He must know something.
But, seeing as he doesn't recognize me, it is unlikely he will...
She stared at the fountain, now remembering the pendant she held in her hand. She looked beyond the water, despite how it covered nearly everything, and tried to find something to start with.
..wait a minute.
At the base of the fountain, the part submerged in the running water, there was a series of some kind of design. It was a circle shape, and while the fountain looked to be carved out of stone, this shape was made of rusted metal. It had small grooves on the edges, and a faint insignia carved on it.
She looked down at the pendant in her hand, and felt a hint of a smile coming through.
She got up, leaving the Uchiha stranded, and stepped inside the fountain, feeling the water swallow her calves full. She knelt down, examining the pattern thoroughly. She waded herself through the water, circling the fountain, until she came across two parts of the pattern--two of the circles meant to be in the stone were missing. Another one on the left looked like it was recently put in, with how the stone was cracked.
Three circles--no, pendants. How did they even get off the fountain?
"Sasuke-san, give me that pendant, please."
"What? No, I'm not--" Sasuke jumped in the fountain and caught sight of what Miyako was looking like. "--oh. Here, I'll do mine." He took out the pendant as Miyako did the same, and the two of them pushed the pendants in the missing parts, looking like two idiots in the middle of town.
They pushed in with a click.
Snap.
"What--"
"Wait, look." Miyako pointed in the water by Sasuke's sandals, seeing some kind of contraption. It was a small trapdoor, which had been opened. It must have snapped open when we did that. Otherwise, I would've noticed it sooner, Sasuke too.
Sasuke bent down, getting his cargo pants soaked, and reached inside the trapdoor to find whatever was hidden inside. Whoever did this wanted it to be hidden, unless unlocked by someone who knew about it. That explains the pendants, and the trapdoor.
He pulled out a chest.
By now, they attracted enogh attention, gathering villagers headed to the morning market. They were starting a commotion, and it wouldn't take long for patrol to confiscate what they found.
"Follow me, I know a place." Sasuke said, hopping away. Miyako grabbed the pendants before taking off after him.
He's getting faster. But he lacks the stamina. He can work on it.
Could I teach him?
...---...
The place Sasuke was talking about was coincidentally, Sayaka's teammates'--Hideki and Satoshi--apartment, the one they let Sasuke stay at. No one can break in, Sasuke explained. I tried once, when I lost the key.
Miyako could see how the apartment was break-in-proof. There's traps everywhere, by the windows, the doors, the balcony. Even one of the bathrooms. Also a jutsu placed to alert when being broken into or entered by an unknown identity.
"Sasuke-chan! Hideki baked some coo--oh, bringing a girl in the house, now?" Satoshi, she recognized, waltzed in the room blatantly with nothing but sweats and a ponytail.
"I thought you said we wouldn't be bothered," she muttered.
"I didn't think they'd be here," he whispered back, grasping her wrist. "They're always out doing stuff together. Satoshi, give us a plate."
"Ugh, fine."
Sasuke dragged Miyako to the room he shared with Hideki, relieved to find the man was absent. He set the chest down on the floor, letting it drip and dry down on the wood. Satoshi arrived not long after, a plate full of arranged cookies.
"Woah, and here I thought you two were doing something else," He chuckled, only receiving bland looks. "I'm kidding, I know you're Sayaka's partner. Anywho, here's the cookies and--wait, what's that?"
"Nothing," Sasule grumbled, snatching the plate and shutting the door on him. Poor Satoshi-san, Miyako thought. Through the beige door, she could hear the muffled cries of Satoshi and the irritated replies of Hideki.
"Hideki, this is what we get for taking in a prepubescent teen!"
"Not my fault, you're the one who keeps bothering him!"
"He's just like you! Gosh! You two are so ungrateful!"
"Ignore them," Sasuke muttered, setting down the plate beside them. He focused on the chest as Miyako examined the dish, before taking a bite of one herself.
"Oh, here," Sasuke muttered as he unlocked the chest with a simple flick. It seemed as though the pendants and the trapdoor were the only precaution. He opened the chest.
Miyako scooted closer to look inside.
...---...
"Alright, gave them the cookies," Satoshi said, flopping down on the couch. "Why did you bake cookies anyway?"
"Because," Hideki responded from the kitchen, washing the dishes. "We're meeting up with Sayaka."
"What?!" Satoshi sprung up. "And you didn't tell me?" He gestured to his messy, untamed hair, his sweatpants, and the clothes lying around the house.
"They're your problems, Satoshi. Those are your clothes on the floor too." Hideki responded, putting his long hair into a low bun. "Also, I don't think anyone would mind the hair. But they would like a shirt on, and a clean floor too."
Satoshi groaned before summoning his clones, which picked his clothes up, while he went into his room to get ready.
Hideki shook his head and continued to wash the dishes.
...---...
I cannot keep this secret for long. Everyday I am filled with such regret that I cannot function. Which is why I find solace inside this journal, where I must confess my sins.
This is the greatest one.
A family of sons--
"I--I think we should--ahem...look at the other stuff in the chest. That alright?"
"It is alright, Sasuke-san."
...---...
"Sayaka! Welcome!" Satoshi opened the door, welcoming the woman to a freshly-cleaned apartment--floors clear of clothes, a nice air-freshener permeating throughout the air, and a nice dark blue and orange shirt on Satoshi. Hideki emerged from the living room, a light twitch of his lips in place. "Hideki baked some cookies."
"Now, I do have to tell Hideki something." Sayaka said, fifteen minutes into their meeting. It was filled with hot tea, warm cookies, and awkward silence. "But It's your choice, Satoshi, if you want to hear it."
"Wha--Well, of course I wanna hear it, but Hideki's the one who probably won't let you tell me like some gossip girl!" The man complained. "Whatever, I'm just gonna go with Sasuke and that Miyako girl--you know they met up this morning and--"
"Wait, what?" Sayaka asked.
"Yeah, they found this chest, I think they came from the fountain. I could smell the water on them," Hideki commented. "Why?"
The chest. The fountain--wasn't that dedicated for the Uchiha clan a long time ago?
Does that have something to do with the pendant?
"Hideki, you have a pendant, don't you?" Sayaka asked, sipping her tea casually. She didn't know if the man owned one, but she wanted to be sure. Most likely, Miyako got that pendant from Itachi during the fight, so Hideki must have one too, right?
The man was confused. "I mean, I do have one, well--I keep it in my room, I forgot about it..."
"You, forgettin' something?" Satoshi joked.
"Shut up, dobe--"
"Hideki," Sayaka spoke up, rolling her eyes, but turning serious. "I think you should go spend time with Sasuke and Miyako, yeah? I think you'll learn something you never knew before."
Something you never knew before.
Why did she look at me with that sad smile?
Hideki went down the hall, externally looking indifferent, yet inwardly worried. Sayaka meant something much more, much deeper, than what she'd said. He twisted the knob and walked in.
"Hideki go away—!"
"Show me. What is that."
Sasuke wavered under the man's gaze, seeing for the first time such an intense glare. He sighed and gave space for the man to sit. "Fine, but only because this is your room."
Hideki sat down next to Miyako, sharing a blank glance. She only returned the gaze, eyes knowingly glancing at him. From her sitting position, she rested her hand on her knee, turned it over and showed him what she was holding.
Wait. That's mine—
"Who are you really?" She whispered, an accusation on the tip of her toungue.
"What are you—"
"Hideki! Look, here," Sasuke called out. Miyako hid the object immediately as the man scooted closer to the boy, looking at the chest he was presenting.
"We found this in the Uchiha fountain at the center of town," Sasuke explained. "And inside was all this stuff."
Sasuke turns the chest around to face Hideki, pushing it forward quite insistently. Hideki looked inside and felt his heart drop to his gut.
"This is..."
My father's.
"It's my father's," Sasuke responded as the man pulled out all sorts of things—kunais, wrapped in bandages with certain kanji's written on it; a chain necklace, a ripped piece of cloth with the clan symbol plastered on it, and more importantly, a journal.
He opens it without a word and begins reading a life he never knew his father had lived.
A family of sons is always the one to be praised. Male children are known to bless the household with strength, intelligence, and luck with their presence itself. I was taught to believe that, and learned that for the sake of pride and reputation and respect, some things must be sacrificed.
But until I myself did the choice of sacrificing, until this ungodly role was passed onto me, I found that as a father, I could not do it and simply get over it.
Two years ago, my wife gave birth to a daughter. Our second child was a girl. But today, when this girl turns another year old, we will have given her away.
Itachi, my eldest, has turned seven. My third son, Sasuke has turned seven months. My middle child, my daughter, has turned six.
We named her Miya.
And today we signed all the papers to make it official she was never ours. Her certificate would say nothing, say her family is unknown, as well as her name. She'd be put on the streets and we would leave her to take care of the rest.
I wish I could justify what I did. But our standards are elite and are strict. There are no exceptions. As the head of the family, I have to prove more than exemplary. My love for my blood is strong, but I cannot risk it when the entire clan's reputation and honor is on the line. Every family, especially the head chief's, must not have a daughter if it risks the family's respect.
Women are known to be workers. But men are perceived as the stronger. The faster. The smarter. The best. No one would be pleased if they were to learn the head Uchiha's family had a daughter, an older one at that.
I wish I could say I loved her. But I never knew her well enough to say so. I was never there for her first birthday nor her second one. I never saw her walk nor heard her speak. I only stayed away, because then, it'd be easier to send her away.
I'm sorry, Miya. If you're reading this, I do hope you've lived a happy life. But I hope you'd understand. If not, then curse me, hate me, but please, whatever you do, don't ruin our family name. I did all I could to bring us as honorable as we are now. I want our future generations to look back at our family as a prosperous one, not a tained, secretive one. Had there been another way, we would have kept you.
- Fukagu Uchiha.
He looked at her.
She looked back.
"There's more." Sasuke said, flipping the page.
Although I said it was for the better, it does not mean I do not feel guilty. I feel guilty for being the one to do this, to make this decision, and to be this girl's father.
It has been five years since that day. And all I can remember are the few years she was with us.
She had the normal Uchiha traits—raven hair, onyx eyes, and pale skin. But it was proven she'd never be one of us. She was different. She was smaller than most. She had a smaller frame as well. She was not adept for the life of Shinobi, the elders knew well. Which is why we made that decision to leave her.
But she was bright. She learned quick. And she was quick, too. And she played well with Sasuke. They got along well. And despite the age difference with Itachi, they played well too. He would come home, and she'd babble and crawl towards him. She'd watch him do many things—chores, schoolwork, studying scrolls and Justus, and performing weapon tricks. She mesmerized those.
There was once she found his weapons and supplies drawer. The next day, she had laid traps all around the place. From watching Itachi set it up and seeing how he made his way around them, she mimicked those and did it herself.
She was smart. But her disadvantages would weigh her down. It would be unlikely she'd awaken her Sharingan. Her potential would be wasted.
But I still think of her at night. And I'm sure my wife does as well. The day we signed those papers and decided to leave her, Mikoto cried and sobbed. She was the reason why we kept the girl for so long.
When we had her, she would follow Mikoto all around the household. She would watch the woman cook, knit, tend to Sasuke's wounds, and would sing along with her. Day and night, their melodies would meld together into one soft song.
Years later and she has no more kids. She swears by it as well. The elders wouldn't approve of us bearing more children anyway, saying that Mikoto had been cursed with the girl child, so the next child would be a girl as well.
By now, Sasuke has forgotten about Miya. He was only a year old at the time. We never talk about her around him, but it's not as though we talk about her anywhere or anytime. She is a forbidden topic.
Itachi does not speak of her nor do we question him about her, so I am unsure if he misses her. He definitely does remember her, as he was old enough.
- Fukagu Uchiha
[i would put his initials but they'd be F. U so yeah hahahha]
Itachi visited her. We have no idea how he knew where she was or where she has been. But one of our second-branches reported seeing him fight with her. We questioned him about it, and he did not respond.
I do hope he never visits her again, nor fight with her. The more he gets involved with her, the more it will disgrace the family. The elders have been angered already.
- Fukagu Uchiha
I know what Itachi is planning today. He's been distant lately, and with the chaos going on, I know what's coming. Today, Itachi Uchiha will end the Uchiha bloodline once and for all. How ironic, the one daughter I thought would bring disgrace to the family, yet here my trusted son is, in her place.
I'm planning to confront him about her. I will ask him, Do you remember her?
The question had bothered me as he grew up.
If he answers, or even if he does not answer the slightest, I will ask of him the biggest favor of all, with my last breath.
Itachi, please take care of them. Both of your siblings.
- Fukagu Uchiha
...—...
It has been silent for thirty minutes.
Nobody knows why Hideki has been quiet.
"Hideki," Satoshi whispered, sitting down next to him. After reading the journal, Hideki had finished it in his room (Sasuke and Miyako left, to give him space), before leaving to find refuge in the living room. With the help of the Sharingan (he used it from underneath his genjutsu) and some silence, he had finished the book in the matter of fifteen minutes.
Now, he sits on the living room clinch, the journal left on the table.
Satoshi wraps an arm around the man. "Hey, I know—I don't know what's going on, actually, but, if you wanna say anything, just spit it out." After no response, he continues, nudging his shoulder. "Tell me what happened."
"I have a sister," he whispered, saying each word slow and unsure, as if he still doubted it. Immediately after, he cupped his mouth with a shaking hand, sinking further into the couch. "I have a sister and I never even knew it, I never knew it when..."
I never knew it when we went back.
Would I have stayed for her?
Hideki allowed himself to collapse against the man, letting his entire body rest against him. He slumped against his chest and let himself sink in his warm embrace, closing his eyes. He took breaths, shaky ones that were filled with half-sobs and muffled cries, before they condensed into deep, solemn inhales and exhales.
"It's alright, you didn't know, but now you know," Satoshi murmured, for once not shouting. For once, Hideki had broken down and showed him his weakness—to him and only him—but he wouldn't make fun of him for that. Nothing was worth this man's pain; this man, who had stuck by him through thick and thin.
"But we—I left her back there," Hideki muttered. Hesitantly, he reached up, wrapping his arms around the man's waist. He wanted comfort, and ignored his pride for the sake of his tears. "We could have been a family."
Satoshi knew how it felt. Hideki—no, Sasuke—has grown up with the loss of his family and loved most of his life knowing a lie. He'd grown dark and full of hatred. Only when realizing his mistake, long after killing Itachi, he realized how less of a family he had now.
And here, now knowing he had an older sister? Before realizing that he left her behind in another world?
Satoshi knew how it felt, especially when finding out that Nagato and Karin were Uzumakis themselves. He had a flare of hope.
"But you're here now, you didn't leave," Satoshi whispered. "You came back. And you can see her this time. You can—you can do everything you never could have done as siblings. You can play with her, train her, tell her those stupid jokes that don't make sense." At that, the duo chuckled lightly.
"That would be nice," Hideki pulled away, leaning back on the couch. Satoshi did the same, bumping shoulders against each other. He rose, pulling a tear-streaked face close to Satoshi's. "You'd be that one annoyingly loud cousin."
"Ugh--take that back!"
"No, dobe." The smile he sends Satoshi is one that is the rarest, and the most valuable, of all. Maybe it's the crinkle of his eyes, or the soft look of his pale skin, or that quirk of his lips--something about that, or maybe all three, just make him look all the more fragile.
"So, what, it didn't feel right with being Hokage?"
"No. I meant--not with Hinata."
He shakes that out of his mind. "Do you know who she is?"
At that, Hideki falls slack against the couch. "I..I don't know."
"Really?"
She revealed to me what was in her hand. She whispered, Who are you? "I have an idea, now that I think of it."
...---...
"What was in the box?" Sayaka asked, settling down on the counter next to the woman.
"There was a lot of stuff. There was a journal." Miyako answered, taking a sip of her iced tea, as well as a bite of the cookies Hideki had baked. It tasted sweet, and a bit salty with the pinch of salt sprinkled on top. Sayaka giggled at the cookie crumbs latching onto her partner's skin, and watched it disappear once the woman took another sip of her drink.
"Did you read it?"
She shook her head, taking another bite. "I didn't get the chance to; we looked at the other stuff before reading it. Hideki-san came in and read the book. He took it, though."
By now, nighttime had already come, staining the sky to a velvety navy blue. The temperature dropped, and the room grew dim, matching the bleak atmosphere--caused by an also-bleak Hideki. Sayaka and Miyako decided to stay longer than planned.
Miyako swiveled around in her seat, facing Sayaka. She grabbed the woman's wrists gently, and brought them into her own hands, holding them carefully. At first, she only fiddled around with the woman's fingers, both growing soft smiles as Sayaka entertwined a hand with Miyako's, and the raven haired woman used her other hand to softly brush peach, yet scarred, skin.
Her face grew serious, and Sayaka could feel a cold object pressed into her hands. She sneaked a peek, and grew pale.
It was those kind of metal charms, with a small metal chain attached to it. The Uchiha Clan symbol was painted on, with the Hiragana of the clan's insignia engraved on the back.
"I found this in Hideki-san's drawer." Miyako whispered, leaning her head closer. "I know I'm not permitted to look around his room, but I just--I found it."
"Miyako..."
"Is he an Uchiha?" She asked, muttering it under her breath. She furrowed her eyebrows, and Sayaka could see something vaguely similar to that of hope. "Does Sasuke-san know? Itachi-san?"
"I--Miyako--I don't think it's appropriate to talk here." Sayaka stuttered, pulling away, much to Miyako's displeasure. "Let's go to Hideki and Satoshi, alright?"
The two made their way to the living room, where Hideki sat upright on the furniture, and Satoshi stared at him, worried. Sayaka and her partner at on the other couch, silently greeting the two.
"A-Are you alright, Hideki?" Sayaka asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he looked deep in thought, as though he were trying to figure something out. He sat like that for a few moments, up until his eyes landed on Miyako. His entire body tensed.
"Sayaka, have you told your partner? About everything?" Hideki inquired, making Sayaka inwardly curse him. Satoshi immediately sat up.
"I--I have not, actually," Sayaka responded hesitantly, her back straightening.
"Why not?" Hideki shot back, eyes narrowing.
"Sayaka, what's he talking about--"
"Hey, you, there." Onyx eyes glared at each other. "You're quite suspicious of us, aren't you?"
She reluctantly nodded, despite the glance Sayaka shared with her. "Yes. I am."
"Do share them with us."
Miyako felt all the eyes in the room fall on her, and she didn't know whether to change the topic or answer honestly. She looked at Sayaka, remembering their conversation from earlier, and felt something irritant spike inside her. She wanted to know, and although Sayaka promised to tell her something by the end of the Chunin Exams, the woman had yet to do so.
Sayaka looked desperate, her eyes gleaming, and Miyako could practically hear the woman begging her not to follow Hideki's orders. But with a sudden surge of courage, she spoke. She swallowed down her guilt before clearing her throat.
"I want to know who you four are, who you all really are, including that man that was with you before--Raideshi-san. You all seemed to have predicted the Invasion weeks, even a month before it happened. You predicted what Orochimaru would do, which is why you raised security, improved the medic forces' performance, assigned yourselves as the guard team for the Hokage, and got the Sand Shinobi to withdraw. Sayaka, you broke into Danzo's base and let everyone escape, and have never explained yourself since then. You took me in as your partner, yet never told me why.
"You each display high levels of power and experience, yet no one ever heard about you, not even once, until you showed up in Konoha. You somehow managed to stop Orochimaru and restrain him from killing the Hokage. Hideki san, you carry this charm with you, which is the Uchiha Clan symbol. Satoshi-san, you somehow managed to bring both Tsunade and Jiraya into the village, both around the time of the Invasion."
Miyako let the words flow out, before she turned to her partner, who stared at her in utter shock and vulnerability. "Remember that Inari? He wrote to me a while back, saying a team to the Land of Waves to help Tazuna-san. He said their names were Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno. You told me--you told me your name is Sakura Haruno, before you went with that code name."
The entire room was silent.
Miyako's hand snuck into the palms of her partner, and with one last silent plead, she squeezed her hand, and spoke.
"Just tell me the truth."
...—...
time skip because im too lazy to write all about telling someone you're from the future.
this part is also kinda rushed, didn't really know how to fix it.
"--you're from the future?" Miyako was shaking. When Sayaka reached out to comfort her, she flinched away. "You time traveled?"
"Yes," Sayaka answered, for once. Their hands remained interlocked, and the woman gazed at them in shame. "To answer all your questions: There was a huge war that took place in our timeline, and because we were unable to win it, nor save everyone, we had to travel back in time. Since travelling back, when we arrived six years ago, we've been trying to prepare for the war."
"So, the war was that bad?"
Satoshi nodded. "It wasn't amongst the countries, rather, we were all fighting against one man. He was planning to summon the Ten Tails by gathering the Tailed Beasts, to pull off a jutsu that would launch the Tsukiyomi in order to control everyone. It was ballistic. We knew we all wouldn't be able to survive, and even if we were to live, everything would be destroyed."
"So you went back." Miyako whispered. "You really are Shinobi."
You really are protectors.
At that, Satoshi chuckled. "Usually that's not what we hear when we tell someone that, but, I guess you could say so."
"So if you're from the future, then...that means your--your real selves are in this timeline as well?" They nodded. "Then, who are your real selves here?"
"I'm sure you know Sakura Haruno is my real identity." Sayaka started.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki." Miyako could see the semblance now, in those cerulean eyes. A bit more weathered, but still just as fiery and bright.
"Sasuke Uchiha." It was the behavior, she noted.
"And our friend, Raideshi, is Kakashi Hatake."
Miyako nodded, looking down. She could barely register the situation. This woman she'd known for six years, had actually been from the future? A one-out-of-a-million chance.
Sasuke Uchiha.
Hideki.
That makes sense.
"Are you an Uchiha?" That woke her from her stupor. "I--well, you asked about us, I wanted ask about you. Are you an Uchiha?"
"Sasuke, don't"
"Yeah." She nodded. "We just found out yesterday, when Sayaka tested my blood."
"And what's your name again?"
"Miyako."
She heard the man suck in a quick, panicked breath. She watched on, confused, as his back slumped, along with his shoulders--as though he were now relaxed. The way he looked at her, the way his lips twitched into a nostalgic smile, it ran a shiver down her spine.
"And did you always have that name?"
"Hideki, what are you--"
"No," Miyako answered. "I grew up not remembering my original name, I think. I gave myself my name."
"And how did you come up with that name?"
She pondered on that for a bit. Her mind brought her back to that night Sayaka--actually, Sakura--broke her out from Danzo's base, where she asked for a name, and she gave herself one. "Sakura asked me about my name. She told me to give myself one, and I came up with this. I remember, it was a beautiful night, and--I don't know, I just thought I'd name myself Miyako. It sounded nice. And familiar, I guess it's because it's close to my original name."
Satoshi rested a hand on the man's shoulder. "Wait, Sasuke, you don't think she's--"
"No, it's her, I know it." Hideki muttered under his breath. "How old are you?"
"Nineteen, I think. I don't remember my birthday, though."
Hideki paused for a moment, whispering under his breath.
Itachi, my eldest, has turned seven. My third son, Sasuke has turned seven months. My middle child, my daughter, has turned six.
Sasuke is around thirteen by now. So, that would mean Miyako would be nineteen, which--
"Hideki, what's going on?" Sayaka finally stepped in, a concerned look on her face. "Is this about her being an Uchiha? We never knew--"
"No," Satoshi reassured, a nervous smile plastered on her face. "He--he's just trying to figure something out. I don't know."
Sayaka narrowed her eyes. "Well--"
"I'm gonna go get some fresh air," Hideki declared, taking the journal with him as he left the room.
Silence.
"What was he talking about?" Miyako asked, stealing the question from Sayaka's head.
"I--I think it's best if you go talk with him," Satoshi said, rubbing the nape of his neck. "It's something I can't tell."
Miyako nodded and chased after the strange man.
...---...
"How's it been with Naruto, Satoshi?"
The man's face brightened as he nodded. "Been great, actually! Now that he's approved of being a genin, I've been teaching him some more jutsus--but not high-class, no, he's too reckless. But he's been progressing greatly, he's close to--well...yeah."
Sayaka missed how the man's face was light and free of scars. She missed how his eyes glimmered with hope and faith--where now, his eyes were only aged and full of hidden tears. She longed for those genin days, when no one judged for laughing or for crying.
"How about you and Miyako? What about your genin team?"
"I didn't get there in time during the invasion, but I managed to save one of my students from bleeding out," Sayaka responded, yet inwardly doubted herself--did she even have the right to call them her students? "With Miyako, we've been training, but I'm thinking of heightening one of her skills."
"I'm not talking about that, Sakura. How is she, really?"
The woman rolled her eyes, but let a smile of mirth slip through. "She's a great partner. She works well independently, but hasn't really gotten the hang of our duo training. She trusts slowly, but I admire how strong she is, and how far she's gotten, despite being a soldier--she never let anything get to her. Seeing her with Itachi, it made me realize how little I knew of her, and how little she knew of me, though. So I wanna fix that."
Sayaka looked straight at her comrade, a fond smile on her face. "So after we leave, I'm thinking of laying low with her for a while. I can begin setting up the village--I already began the clean-up process of debris back at Otogakure, and now I just need to help the inhabitants. We're preparing for the war, after all, and the only issue we currently have to handle is preventing Sasuke from leaving. But really, that's it, up until the Akatsuki's activity starts rising. But, you already got a plan for that, don't you?"
Satoshi nodded, a sly grin forming.
Sayaka continued. "I really think we should...we should settle a life here. You should go...well, be an Ambassador, and live a life outside Hokage's office. And go get married. Have a family, train Naruto. And Sasuke should finally have a family dinner with Itachi, and the rest of his family. And I--I want to have a life with her, a life that we could have had before, a kind of life I never got to have because of the war."
Satoshi nodded. "I want that, too. I really hope we'll win this war."
Her eyes glimmer, just as bright as his did in his youth, and he sees a kind of hope he never saw in her before. There's doubt, there's fear, but overall, there's the impending faith that only begins to flourish under his stare. "We will, Naruto. We're gonna win."
...---...
"Did I say something to discomfort you?"
The man shakes his head and pink wipes his nose, before turning back to the view. "No--no, I just had to think."
"May I sit down?"
"Yes, of course." He scoots to the side, making space so the woman can sit beside him. There, the two sit on the roof of the apartment building, legs swinging gently to the wind. She leans to the side, reluctant, and bumps shoulders, as though she were trying to comfort him.
"What is it you need to think about?" Her voice is firm, yet faint, as though aware of the kind of fragile state he was in currently.
"Something..big." He responded, vaguely covering the situation. He needed to change the topic. "So--uh, how'd you get the journal? Sasuke told me, but he didn't tell me about you."
"Well, that day Itachi-san came to Konoha, I fought with him," Miyako explained, fishing through her pouch to bring out the pendant for the umpteenth time. "I passed out after. When I woke, Sayaka said she found this in my hand. I followed it to the fountain, where I met Sasuke-san."
Hideki nodded. "He gave it to you?" She nodded. "And you were fighting? Why?"
"I know him." She said, her voice suddenly taut. The look on her face is not that of anger, just of loss. "We know each other from fighting, for a long time. He always tries to make me angry. But I was...how to say this, worried he'd use Sayaka-san against me."
Hideki nodded. "Did you beat him?"
"Yes, but only because I used my voice."
"Voice--?"
"You sing?" The duo turned to find a young boy with dark eyes and hair, standing behind them with a lost smile. "Can I listen?" Without a warning, he climbed onto the ledge between them, shivering at the cold air. Hideki stifled a small laugh, letting the boy lean against him for warmth.
"Sasuke, you should know better than to interrupt conversations," Hideki teased, before turning to the woman with a curious gaze. "But, I'd like to hear about this."
"...I," Miyako hesitated, but the everlasting looks she received was what made her agree. "I'll sing, only for a bit."
Miyako steadied herself, taking deep breaths. She'd never done this, singing without the intention of harming someone. It almost seemed foreign to her. She looked at the unease on Hideki's face, from thinking for so long, and looked at the calm expression Sasuke bore.
A nice melody.
She brought forth a wordless melody, yet one that needed no words to describe its meaning. She closed her eyes, smiling as the notes slipped past her lips, forming pendent notes and riffs that seemed to make a big, warm cloud--it surrounded the three of them, like a heavy fog.
When the song ended, it left behind a sweet taste, accompanied by a relaxed silence. Sasuke looked close to being asleep, letting his mind drift into a comforting oblivion. The Uchiha seemed to have fallen further into Hideki's embrace.
Hideki stared.
"One day, you're gonna meet a young woman--or, maybe you already have. But, knowing this, you'll find out who she is, who she really is, to you. And to us."
"She'll smell of mother's tomato onigiri rice balls. And the soot after father performs the fire jutsu so you can learn it. And she'll sound like Shisui's stupid laughs when he tells a funny joke, or when he squishes your cheeks together. She'll sound like mother's voice when she's singing or when she's playfully warning you when you do something troublesome. She'll have our dark eyes and our dark hair and she'll look just as beautiful as your mother. And just as tough and calm as your father.
"She'll remind you of our training grounds when we had spare time. She'll remind you of your study sessions when you were afraid to disappoint father during the Academy test. She'll remind you of mother patching up your wounds after injuring yourself in a training session. She'll remind you of home."
"She's tough, but she's gentle. And she's smart, and she can sing like an angel. And she has passion. She's learning to feel. She's everything you want her to be but nothing like you'd expect."
"And when you do meet her, the next time you meet her, you'll call her onee-san."
Sasuke Uchiha never told Hideki those words--at least, not yet. In three days the young boy would remember and share Itachi's words with Hideki. But now, he was unaware--so what was to explain those words floating around in his head, at this very moment, providing him a realization he so openly welcomed?
Hideki looked down at the boy in his arms. Then back at Miyako.
Nineteen. She's still a half-year older than me.
"Can I call you onee-san?"
...---...
She looked away for a second, her bright smile fading. "I really do hope we can be good friends again, too, Naruto. All of us, Team Seven again. Like the old times."
Satoshi's smile wavered, but grew wider nonetheless. "I think we all would like that, Sakura. You know--Sasuke and Naruto's like our children, but I don't think Sasuke can survive off of Hideki's horrible meals and my only cooking expertise being ramen. I mean, Hideki bakes, but he sucks at real meals."
The two laughed.
"Where's Kakashi, nowadays?"
"I don't really know, these days. But he writes weekly, and talks all about how Naruto and Sasuke still fight, and Sakura still fangirls, but they're getting better." Satoshi answered.
"He should really get a break, right?" She whispered. "He's been through so much. He deserves a break. He deserves a family, a home, and a place that's not war-torn."
"Yeah. We really do need to fight."
It's once again reminded to them that this is their last chance. Their last life. Yet instead of spiking worry, it only spikes determination.
We will fight.
"I'd like that."
"Hey, if he gets to call you onee-san, I get to call you that too."
If he considers you family, then I will too.
Even if Itachi never comes back.
...—...
Next chapter, I think, will be the last one. I'm sorry if this was kinda rushed a bit, though. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always, I appreciate the time taken to read this book. Sorry if this was too long, though. :]