Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Repetition ❯ One-Shot

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Sasuke is not Itachi.

In the end, Sasuke never makes it back to Konoha.

No one knows where he ends up, because after defeating five ANBU teams even the Hokage admits that the Sharingan is permanently out of Konoha's reach. He takes nothing with him and leaves everything behind: the graves of his clan, his teammates and Itachi's dead body. No word ever reaches desperate ears about his fate, he could be living in another Hidden village, he may have left the Ninja Nations altogether. He may even be dead.

The only thing Konoha knows for certain is that he's not coming back. That's what he tells the fifth and final ANBU team, when he leaves them broken and bleeding but still breathing.

Sasuke is an Avenger.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Naruto is not the Fourth Hokage.

It's slow at first, but towards the end no one can ignore the signs. It takes longer and longer for Naruto to return to 'normal' and the transformations are getting more frequent and severe. At some point a line is crossed and 'Naruto' is gone. All that is left is a fanged, clawed, red-eyed, snarling, uncontrollable thing.

He dies then, chained to the floor, surrounded by all the people he'd ever touched in his life. All of them, masked and ready.

Naruto is a Monster.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sakura is not Tsunade.

When she finally loses them, her love to a wandering demon, her almost-brother to the demon within himself, Sakura cries. She locks herself in her room for a week and let's no one see her. She cries at the funeral, performed in the dead of night so no one will know, she cries when an entire section of Konoha is lost in a cleansing fire. She cries for a year and a day.

And then she stops. Sakura leaves her dark room. She laughs with her best friend and she marries the strong, enthusiastic boy who has always loved her.

Sakura tells their children stories of a breakable trio, in the hopes of saving something from legends.

Sakura is a Mother.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Itachi was a mass murderer. Sasuke kills, but is too wise to do so lightly, only striking at need.

The Fourth Hokage was a hero. Naruto was put down like a rabid dog, a danger to his owner.

Tsunade spent every day of her life mourning what she had lost. Sakura boxes her memories like precious heirlooms and never regrets her decision to move on.