Author: deceiving rumour
Beta-Reader: xXAsuka-chanXx
Parings: SasuSaku
Summary: [Time Travel] After defeating Orochimaru Sasuke comes back to Konoha. But why the next day he wakes up he's 13...again?
Disclaimer: Nope, Naruto isn't mine. This is just my version of a twisted 309 and beyond.

Firecracker
:Slaughtered for Weakness, Electric Like Static

Chapter Two: Mind Like A Diamond
Shattered by indifference

Sasuke looked at the girl beside him with a hint of confusion. The awareness of what happened to him, of what he remembered was strong but some parts very blurry. Like he was walking through a mist, and time from time a small glimpse of light sparkled only to disappear and leave him searching once more.

Staring at his lap he heard some murmurs and voices talking but he paid no attention to that. The feeling of...need, need for blood and pain. It was strong and hard to overcome. He did remember controlling it then he was in Oto. Could he do it now? Could he do anything at all? All those jutsu he spend years to learn, the speed, the strength, the power...did he have any of that or it all disappeared the minute he let himself be emotional?

—"What will happen to her?" Sasuke asked Tsunade the second he managed to arrive to the Konoha Hospital. Sasuke could barely stand on his legs as he panted heavily from the long run from Oto to Konoha with Sakura in his arms. "Answer me!"

"Don't shout at me Uchiha, I'm still the Hokage of this village and as long as you stay a Konoha-nin you will obey!" Narrowing her amber eyes furiously, the blonde woman threw a painful look at the pink haired girl. "But you have every right to know her condition...I'm not sure she'll make it…Sakura is strong. But..."

"I see..." —

"Naruto..." Sasuke ears perked up and he saw Sakura looking over to the blonde boy who was crawling on his stomach shouting nonsense about hiding. 'My...team...' Unconsciously Sasuke smiled crookedly. 'both of them...we're a team. Together. It's nice.'

But the feeling of warmth, a glimpse of satisfaction that one day Sakura and Naruto would be strong and would be able to relate to him disappeared the second Naruto got up from the ground and ran like crazy towards them shouting Sakura's name. 'Let the idiot spoil the moment...'

"S-Sakura-chan!" He panted. "W-What happened to your hair?!"

Sakura looked over at Sasuke through him a glance silently pleading not to tell Naruto about the fight. And smiled – for some reason it accured to dark haired boy that she was faking the confidence and air-headiness. It obviously bothered her that she cut her hair and her face was swollen. Not that she'd show it, and that Naruto would notice either. He was too dense for that.

— "Her heart is giving away!" A medic shouted. —

"Oh this," she ran a small pastel hand through her hair. "I needed an image change. I liked the long hair...but, you know, it gets in the way when I move in a forest like this."

Sasuke couldn't help to feel somewhat proud of Sakura as Naruto bought the lie and nodded.

'She's growing, they both are. Maybe I can speed up the process. After all my path of the 'traitor' was the trigger for them to become tougher but if I played it right, then...' He noticed that Sakura stole a glance from him and blushed lightly, seeing him stare at her. 'They will be helpful, with Itachi and generally. Both have the potential not everyone sees. Especially Sakura...huh, I can work with that...Naruto however...'

Sasuke pulled out of his thoughts, Nara murmured some comment about Naruto that involved word 'troublesome'. "Everyone helped us..." Sakura smiled again, her hand still touching the tips of her hair.

"Aa," Everyone turned to Sasuke as for he spoke the first time since the curse seal deactivated. "that's right." After pausing for a moment. "Nara, take your team and leave."

Shikamaru cringed. 'Uchiha sure has a way of saying thank you, troublesome...'

"S-Sasuke-kun! Don't be so rude-"

Not listening to Sakura's objections he continued. "My team is worn out but still quite capable of getting another scroll. But is yours still capable."

Something told Shikamaru that this wasn't a question. 'Does Sasuke know about our lack of offense skills? Did Ino tell him',' He looked at his blond teammate who stared amusingly as the brunette shook the Lee-character. 'Nah, even Ino isn't that vain to give the potential enemy knowledge that could lead to failure.

So...Sasuke does know. And is this his way...' "Sasuke, are you suggesting to team-up and get two more scrolls, one for each team?" '...of offering help. That's new.'

"Aa." 'Troublesome, should have know that he won't give us a straight answer.' Shikamaru sighed. Life is sure troublesome, why did he become a shinobi in the first place? "Augh, what a drag. We'll go by ourselves."

"Hn. Suit yourself."

"But still thanks,...you know."

—"What can I do?" Sasuke asked.

"Pump charka into her body!" Tsunade said without turning to him. "Shit! She's dying. We don't have time! Sakura!"

Focusing as much charka as he could Sasuke felt weaker by the giving minute. With lost charka his energy was drawn too. "S-Sasuke-kun...?"

"S-Sakura," he saw tears on her pale face. —

'I don't recall what happens next, memories are uneven. I wonder...' "You're fuzzy eyebrows guy!" Naruto shouted pointing at Lee.

"NARUTO! Don't talk to Lee-san like that!" Next thing Sasuke saw was Sakura punching the living day-lights out of the guy. 'Their bickering is actually amusing…did Sakura just glow pink? Ugh, she truly is a girlie princess.'

He watched as her face calmed. Raising a brow he couldn't help but feel a little hurt at how grateful she looked towards the guy in the green jumpsuit – what was his name again? Something like...Rokku Rii? Then why did she call him Lee?

"Thank you," Sakura smiled (only partly fake may Sasuke add, which means she was still appreciative) "Thanks to you, my eyes are wide open now. I think I've become a little stronger." Somewhat I pained him to see this.

'Then again, nothing will ever happen. She's Sakura for crying out loud! She's loyal. Like some sick puppy that'll follow you wherever you go. She there for you through thick and thin. She understands to a point that she'll give up everything for you. She'll even appreciate the smallest thing you've accomplished. She cares deeply too. It's a sure thing that there'll be an apple-peeling session when you wake up from the hospital…and by 'you' I mean me…' Shaking his head Sasuke glanced again at his female teammate getting embarrassed by green-suits tears. 'That never going to change,...right?'

"Sasuke-kun," Sasuke turned his attention to Lee. 'Oh brother. Why I have to live my life again! Like the first time wasn't enough...' "You lived up to the reputation of the Uchiha clan. You drove those Sound ninja away, you truly do possess great skill and power. While I lost horribly."

—"Fuck!"Sasuke swore, pumping more energy into Sakura's broken body.

"S-Sasu…"—

Regaining full control over his body, quicker than he expected though; curse seal was supposed to worn him to no end at this age. 'But why do I feel so strong...' Sasuke ignored the rest of Lee's speech and Ino's call to fix Sakura's hair; and walked towards still laying Naruto. "Usuratonkachi."

Naruto looked up to the dark haired boy who stood above him shaking his head, Sasuke stretched out his arm. 'Is he offering help? It's not that hard to get up from the ground. Does that prick thinks I'm that lame not to be able to do such easy thing?...Oh–'

Taking Sasuke's hand and jumping at his feet Naruto smiled. "Thanks teme." '–I get it. That bloody bastard is actually being nice and shows he cares!' "Hn." 'Or at least trying to…'

Sasuke glanced over to Sakura who whispered something to Ino with a shiny glint in her green eyes. He did not know particularly who made rumors that he liked long hair – Itachi may have though, that sneaky bastard – he never actually did like long. His mother's hair always got in the way of things. So on his personal opinion short hair was better. 'Besides Sakura looks cuter that way… Again, why am I thinking that?'

He felt someone's stare on his body. Sasuke screwed up his eyes and saw a long-haired boy standing on the tree branch. 'Hyuuga Neji, huh...he can't rival with me. Nor do I need him. But he is a genius of the Hyuuga family, if only he wasn't a branch member. Fate is really cruel...And I'm the solid evidence of that.'

—"I have no right to ask you this Sasuke, but...without what you're going to do next...her existence will be ended. For ever, I'm not saying you should change everything. Or make different decisions. Just save her…Ugh I'm begging you since you're one of the few who has the knowledge about everything what's really is going on in Konoha…"

"I'll do it."

"Thank you."—

Sighing deeply Sasuke pulled out of his memories. "Naruto, Sakura. We're leaving now."

"Hai, Sasuke-kun!"

"Ugh, teme..." seeing them leave Naruto rushed up and ran towards moving figures. "Wait! I'm comin', I'm comin'!"

Sasuke stared at the still water. He left Sakura and Naruto near the boulders setting up a camp. He himself was supposed to bring them food; glancing at the pile of fish he finally activated his Sharingan in order to get some answers.

Like always the world got shaper, clearer in a way. Leaning over the liquid he looked at his outline in the water. Back at him stared tow crimson orbs with three small back commas. 'Three tomoe?'

He touched his shoulder again. Sasuke remembered that the curse seal at the very beginning hurt like hell. But he didn't feel any pain what-so-ever. Focusing on the seal he felt the familiar heat on his body. The sensation was different though, like then he...Opening his eyes shut he looked at the observed his body in the water. Pale skin grew a darker shade more grey that black. His hair turned silverly blue and grew down and up. Sasuke changed into his second level of curse seal appearance.

'So I'm still the same huh? I wonder if my speed is the same or the strength...' Hearing some noise he deactivated both the seal and Sharingan.

Sakura approached him, holding her right arm behind her back with her left hand clasping her forearm below the elbow. Sasuke recognized the stance. It was a gesture of contrition, but only because she had something on her mind and wasn't sure if it was the right time to bring it up. She rocked on her heels in silence for a moment, eyes darting around the grove to admire the leaves glimmering like emeralds from the tree branches.

"Sakura," he got her attention. "if you have something to ask do it now."

"Ugh,...Sasuke-kun I was wondering are you okay? I mean, not okay but are you fine...I mean..." she bit her lip and pointed at her neck. "...with your...ugh..."

Closing his eyes Sasuke sighed. "I'm absolutely fine Sakura. Don't worry." 'I'm more than just fine...'

Her mouth shaped into an 'O' and she smiled. "Are you sure?" He rolled his eyes. "I'm glad that Orochimaru person didn't do anything to you. I was so scared then you woke up...like that. But you're the same Sasuke-kun!" 'I'm not the boy you know Sakura. There is so much more Naruto and you can ever find out.'

"Then, I guess I'll be going now." She smiled and waved. "Ja, Sasuke-kun! Oh I'll take the fish with me. Naruto asks for food." Turning she walked away leaving Sasuke stare at her back thinking.

—He darted his gaze from the Hokage to his master. "I'm going to ask you to go on a mission. Orochimaru one of the Legendary Sannin has approached you, and you must be aware how dangerous he is. We have been informed that he wishes you to be his next vessel. That means he'll ask you to join him promising power to kill Itachi…"

"You want me to stay away."He raised his brow.

Tsuande shook her head. "No. We want you to accept the offer.

A woman in a Cat-ANBU mask flipped her purple hair. "Spy on him, and feed us the information. After you feel that you're ready. Kill him."

Tsuande rolled her eyes at the woman's straight fordless. "Your master, here she say you're quite capable of doing it." She drank up her sake cut in an instance. "About your teammate, don't tell them. Pretend. We'll support any lie you say. So do you take the mission?" She asked Sasuke.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The ANBU turned away.—

His twelve year old self, the one who he looked like, and he the sixteen year-old ANBU were a whole range of emotions, skills, powers and deaths apart. This boy was him before lightning. This boy still belonged to the fire.

Then ANBU started their training the fire began to die inside of him. Cruel and harsh logic kicked in too often. He now knew that in the moment Kakashi had begun to teach him how to use the Chidori, the fire was doomed. His vengeance had turned bitter and ruthless. The flames turned white and cold.

He used to be an ANBU of Konoha, undercover in Oto. It didn't bother him how the village thought that he was a traitor, whose will was too weak to save him from Orochimaru. Being Sannin's student helped him a great deal; his vengeance would be complete with the amount of power Snake gave him. His friends and memories of happiness only existed in the deep recesses of his soul.

He supposed that they would remain there in the dark, hidden from his mind until his mission was complete, along with all of the emotions that made him human, because to kill something evil, you had to let the darkness consume your soul.

But then Naruto and Sakura came, it triggered something. Instead of keeping tabs on Orochimaru and Akatsuki he killed The Snake Sannin. Instead of leaving he returned with half-dead Sakura. Instead of letting her die, he agreed to destroy the reality as he knew it and go back in time.

—"...why anyone hasn't done it before? If this kind of jutsu is possible then...we would be able to prevent most horrible things what happened."

"Because Sasuke...it will end our existence."

"Meaning?"

Tsunade sighed. "Then the time line makes to loop to throw someone back. The reality from which the person comes is destroyed. No one survives, and the traveler...if he or she succeeds...then...ugh. It's hard to explain Sasuke. The person that travels in time is no longer the same. He isn't the past self nor is the future, somewhere in between…We don't know how exactly does this work. No one has ever done it. Then again, maybe someone has but never told anyone…"—

He really was someone in between. He believed that he was himself, the same coldblooded and distant man who controlled the power of lighting. The time loop changed his age though, he looked like the hot-blooded boy who still believed in the light of fire.

But something was wrong, even if the cold persona was dominant; the strange need to protect those around him made his softer in a way. He felt licking flames of fire continue to live on in his soul making him care more than he wanted to.

He was told that he was as close to a demon as any man could get, and not only because of the curse seal. The blood thirst appeared long before the Chunin exam. Tsunade said once harbored the chakra of Uchiha Madara. He was supposedly the founder of the Uchiha clan.

Maybe Itachi saw something in him. Something what an innocent child should not have, the power had festered beneath his personality. It was apparent in his drive to be the best; in his determination to be better than his brother.

'So if I'm a demon, then why do I care? Tsh, me and my hero complex. Sakura once said I have a superiority complex. Che.' Getting up on his feet he thought that it's time to go to his team. 'What about Uchiha Itachi?' Suddenly stopping Sasuke looked at the clear blue surface. 'He can always wait. After all we under the same sky, one day will meet.'

Smirking slightly he whispered to the wind. "And I'll be ready for him."

Team 8 jumped from tree branch to tree branch. What have they seen a moment ago was still planted in their minds.

"I'll kill everyone in my way."

Hinata glanced at her teammates, Shino was a picture of calmness but she was pretty sure he was as bewildered as her and Kiba. Kiba on the other hand was running faster than both of them with still wide eyes and shaking in horror Akamaru hidden in his jacket.

Hinata herself was scared to death, she knew that Chunin exam will be tough but...the way that boy killed those ninja...She shook her head and focused so her Byakugan wouldn't deactivate. "Kiba-kun, Shino-kun. Someone is straight ahead."

"Are those people the same Sand Kids?"

"No." She concentrated on the figures. "There's three of them. I can't make out who they are."

"How far ahead?" Shino asked.

"Five meters."

"What! Hinata why didn't you tell us earlier!?"

"I only noticed now." Hinata bit her lower lip. "I don't know what can hide from Byakugan..."

Akamaru winced in Kiba's hood. "This is bad; he's scared like before..."

—Kiba took Akamaru in his hands. "Akamaru started to get very frightened."

"Why is that?"

"He's able to sniff an enemy's chakra and find how strong he is. But this is the first time I've seen him get this frightened." Kiba looked over at Hinata and Shino. "No matter who is there, they're not normal."—

"...people who are ahead were able to hide from Byakugan and scared Akamaru. They-" He didn't get a chance to finish then a voice cut in.

"It's you guys?!"

Author's Note: So this chapter is dedicated to mistyfire's code is secure, mostly since she's the first reviewer. I read in animelover12294 profile this: When she runs up at you crying, the first thing you say is: "Who's ass am I kicking babe?" and though this is so totally the thing of the last chapter! Like then Sasuke kicked Zaku's ass then he beat up Sakura. The first thing Sasuke asked everyone was: "Sakura...who did this to you?" Kya! *winks*

It's unknown how exactly Sasuke ended up in the past just that it was a plea from Tsunade to save Sakura, it's just said that he used a jutsu, what kind of. I donno. Basically Sasuke is the same Sasuke from Shuppuden, the cold, distant, "fuck-the-world", "I'm-gonna-kill-you" guy. But the time jutsu pulled him out his time and threw back creating a loop and demolishing the reality he came from, in the process his age was modified to the age he is in the reality he arrived, and since laws of physics cannot allow two Sasuke's both of them morth into one thus Sasuke is twelve and in his old self's place but with the knowledge, mind and power he possess. And because the older Sasuke is dominant he becomes the main persona in the body, but since the younger one is somewhere there Sasuke's protectionism over people who are close to him is far stronger combined. Also he did it because Sasuke's base reaction to strife is to dominate the situation. He immediately takes sole responsibility for the actions and outcome of all involved. This behavior is exhibited not only in on Squad Seven, but also Hebi/Hawk. It probably began with him taking responsibility for the Uchiha clan genocide.

To Anotamous: Well and I never actually read Mixed with the Lightning of Slaughter before you mentioned it. After I did, I found some similarities but my plot will take a different turn. The reason why he seemed confused at first then the memories came was because I thought that it would be a bit cliché if he woke up knowing everything at the second, and before then Genin exam. Like the whole "be better, save everyone, don't get a curse seal" deal. So that's why he woke up after the Curse Seal was placed on him and he already lived his life so that's why memories over flowed him. Like a computer then it crashes because of too much data. About techniques, Sasuke knows them and can perform some of them (it will be later explained in the following chapters) his body isn't as an out of shape as most of you thought at the beginning. Uhm...in the following chapter it will be explained how he traveled in time. I will update as soon as I write a chapter and Asuka will Beta it. Events? Well it was sort of the memories caught up with him and like déjà vu some of the actions trigger them. But in the end of the first chapter you can see that he remembers everything now, so the confusion is over. There will be other parings. I'm not entirely sure which ones so I would like some votes about the subject, but please no triangles, I'm bad at them. But there will be 'Sasuke and Naruto' friendship. Yeah, I know that updating slowly is sort of like hiatus I just lost interest in A new Beginning, then I'll regain it I'll update. It's just the plot is interesting just a bit too cliché and since the characters traveled in time together there's not much influence on each other thus they don't grow as persona.