Leading Him Home

By:

Fear Die Rothaarige

For years Sasuke felt like he was never truly alone and not because he was almost always in the constant company of Team Hebi. Those few rare moments to himself, he could feel something with him. Something that wasn't quite alive, but wasn't quite dead. Sometimes he'd see something like the outline of a male figure in his peripheral vision but when he turned as fast as he could, nothing was there. Other times he's be almost sleep in whatever inn or clearing or cave his team had chosen for the night, and just as his mind would drift off to sleep he'd hear a voice whispering softly, Sleep well Sasuke. In some part of his mind the voice reminded him of Itachi.

And sometimes it was like this presence was guiding him. It would give his commands on which way to go, a touch to his hand or a gust of wind leading him in the right direction. The few times he went against the advice of said presence, it ended badly for him and his team. The first time they were ambushed by a group of Hunter Nin. They ended up fleeing from the fight with a heavily wounded Karin supported on the Uchihas back. He dismissed it as a fluke. The second time they were caught in a raging flash fire in some field. If they had not been experienced nin they all would have perished in the flames. He called this a fluke again, but the back of his mind called it something more. The third and final time they ended up wondering through a ghost village, all of its occupants having died from some unknown disease. Juugo noticed the rabid animals first. They put them out of their misery before running far, far away. As they say the third time was the charm, Sasuke would listen to this presence instead of going against it.

He spent five years following the advice of this not quite alive but not quite dead presence. And one night he stood at a literal and metaphorical crossroads. They all stood in the center of the road, looking at the road signs for all of the difference cities these roads would take them. To the North was Iwagakure in the Earth Country. To the east was Kumogakure in the Lighting Country. To the West was Sunagakure in the Wind Country, and finally, to the South was Konohagakure. Sasuke was staring at the sign that pointed down the road that would lead him home. It didn't surprise him when he felt a gently push in the direction of the village of his birth.

Once of twice Sasuke had had the fleeting thought that this presence was leading him somewhere. It was true. It seemed this presence wanted him to finally go home. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't thought of doing the exact thing the presence wanted him to do. Konoha was his home, no matter how many ghost haunted the place. He never considered reviving his clan in a place other than Konoha. Strangly enough, Sasuke also remembered his first team, Team Seven. The Blonde goof, who he heard was in training to become the next Hokage. His perverted silver-haired Sensei, who had taken over writing the Icha Icha Paradise books. And Sakura, the girl who never got around to killing him was saving lives in Konoha's hospital. They were not his family by blood, but in his heart he knew they were what he had left.

There was another nudge, harder than the one before, in the direction of Konoha. He hesitated before taking a small step forward. Then another and another. Soon enough he was walking normally as he headed South. A few moments later he heard the sound of Team Hebi fall in behind him. They made no protest about the direction he chose. Maybe they all realized this would eventually happen and decided to go along for this adventure.

Three days later he was standing at the gates of Konoha. A majority of the buildings were unfamiliar to him, having been reconstructed after the Akatsuki invasion. He wondered what else had changed in his home village as people and nin gathered around him and his team.

Welcome home Little Brother, he heard his brother say and as he felt the all too familiar poke to his forehead he caught a glimpse of blonde, silver, and pink rushing for him.

He was home.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and never will. If I did, why would I be writing fanfictions?

Hope you enjoy. I haven't written for Sasuke and Itachi before, so I hope this is good. First I thought this would end up being a Sasuke/Sakura fic like normal, but this is what it turned into. I'm not complaining. :)

Please Read and Review!

Later!