Jun was the Uchiha clan leader. It felt like a betrayal to Sasuke. The boy would have liked him to be a liar, to be wrong… but the truth was his world had been built on mirages. And all Illusions had shattered into a thousand pieces. Nothing was true anymore. Nothing had any more value. Nothing made sense anymore.

The Uchiha clan was no longer a symbol of greatness and prestige to be honored. The clan only had four living members. His mother wasn’t there to comfort or encourage him. His brother wasn’t a hero, a role model, or unwavering support to be counted on… Itachi was… Itachi had…

All these comfortable facts he had grown up with… Everything had fallen apart overnight. Sasuke only had Jun left, but he hated him. He just came out of nowhere and became the regent force in his life. He even took his father’s title and kept Fugaku’s things in his room. Sasuke saw the summoning scrolls in Jun’s belongings. Those were so precious that his parents had never allowed him to touch them. The teenager also told him the Uchiha District would be razed to the ground. Just thinking about it made Sasuke’s throat churn. It was his home, the only home he’d known.

The boy’s belongings had been returned to him. Sasuke wasn’t happy about it because it meant that Jun had gone to get them. He had entered his house and walked where his parents had been… He had brought back his things as if he were still a child… as if he still wanted them… as if that could fix anything. Jun had the clan members cremated without him. His father, his mother, everyone… Rage burned his stomach like acid. What did it matter that he was in a coma? He should have been there. He should have decided. The teenager had stolen that from him as he had stolen the rest.

Sasuke wanted to scream, hit, and destroy something. But he ultimately knew it was the truth. His family was dead. His brother had killed everyone. Jun and his family were the sole survivors of the Uchiha clan. He hated them for that, for surviving when his father and mother were dead.

The boy hated everyone. Jun, who was too busy to take care of him, Izumi and the way she eyed him warily, little Kazuma and his forced shy smiles, Karin who wasn’t even an Uchiha but seemed to have a more legitimate place than him within this family, and Neji Hyuga who seemed to think he was at home here.

Sasuke hated them for being saved when he had lost everything. He hated them for being alive, for being together, for being confident while he had nightmares every night. His grief and anger tore at his stomach like a monster trying to devour him from the inside. He was terrified. He had never lost anyone before…

Jun, Izumi, and Kazuma were the last Uchihas with him. They wore the clan emblem and practiced the Uchiha Taijutsu katas and shuriken techniques. Sometimes, when he ignored everything else, he could almost pretend that he was home. Sasuke wanted to yell at them, but he also wanted to cling to them so tightly that they could never slip through his fingers. Even if he doesn’t consider them as real Uchihas, they were there with him. Without them, he would be really alone.

He didn’t want to be alone. It was such a frightening thought that he didn’t know how to articulate it. He had never known what loneliness was. When Itachi had killed their parents, then looked at him with his impassive face and told him he was going to kill everyone, Sasuke hadn’t understood what that meant. He didn’t have the ability to design a world without a clan in it. Then Itachi’s eyes had changed, and the world had turned black and red, plunging Sasuke into a perpetual nightmare for days.

When he woke up, the Hokage had told him Itachi had slaughtered the clan. The boy had felt a chilling terror deep in his bones. He felt alone; Itachi had taken everything from him. Then he learned that his brother had failed. He hadn’t taken everything. Uchihas had survived, and Sasuke had to live with them. They were responsible for him. They had to protect him and care for him. Sasuke was happy to have them, but he didn’t dare say it to them or even think it. The thought frightened him. He didn’t want to lose people he cared about anymore. Itachi’s betrayal, his parent’s death… everything was too fresh in his mind.

“Sasuke.”

The boy flinched, then blamed himself immediately for the involuntary reaction. It was Jun who had called him on the doorstep of the house. He stared back at him, silent. Since he was here, the teenager had barely spoken to him. He was always busy working or training the others.

“Come with me. There is something we need to discuss.”

Jun turned away and left. Seething with frustration, Sasuke contemplated the idea of just ignoring him. But Jun was the authority here. It wasn’t just because of his position as the clan leader. Izumi, Karin, Neji, and Kazuma listened to him. But Jun also carried himself in a way that commanded respect. Therefore, the boy put on his shoes and went out.

Jun walked through the village without slowing down. Sasuke trotted on his heels, staring ahead to avoid the gazes of others. The boy rarely went out. He didn’t want people to look at him with pity. He noticed that their glances weren’t as heavy as he had feared. Jun was blocking most of them. He was taller, more imposing, and attracted attention.

When a civilian pretended to sigh sympathetically, the teenager looked him straight in the eyes, emotionlessly, and the other quickly looked away. Jun was no object of pity. He was a respected shinobi. Someone who could be feared. Itachi seemed invincible. He had killed all the clan members. His Sharingan was very powerful. But Jun had confronted him and survived. He had forced him to retreat.

They passed several ninjas who greeted them from afar. They mostly greeted Jun. Sasuke had seen them before, from his window. Jun’s family seemed to attract a steady stream of kind-hearted friends coming in to see them. There were ninjas in ANBU uniforms and others in the normal Konoha outfit. There was even a man in a tight green jumpsuit. Sasuke had recognized Iruka in the lot. Kazuma had told him that he was Jun’s childhood friend.

It was weird for him to imagine Jun with childhood friends. Sasuke looked at him sideways, He didn’t know his exact age, but he was older than Itachi. He looked so… adult. Their walk eventually took them to a large training ground on the cliff overlooking the village. Jun went towards a clearing. There was a tree trunk in the center of it, half-covered with moss. The teenager eyed it warily before sitting down and gesturing to Sasuke to do the same. They looked at each other in silence.

The boy had no idea why they were there. He just glared at Jun, his body language betraying the fact that he was being defensive. Jun sighed deeply. He suddenly looked tired.

“I often came here to train with Shisui.”

Sasuke leaned forward suddenly interested. He hadn’t known Shisui very well, but he remembered his big smile and the fact that he often trained with Itachi. He also recalled the commotion his death created within the clan and the rumors that came afterward.

“Shisui was one of my best friends when I lived with the clan and even after I left. It was by training with him and Itachi that I learned to face the Sharingan. Shisui asked me once to watch over Itachi. I believe he was worried about Itachi killing himself. It’s a bit ironic considering how things turned out…”

Sasuke opened his mouth, then closed it. He was shocked. Jun spoke of his brother so easily as if he was no monster. There was no hatred coming from his words.

“Our friendship was a secret. My family and I weren’t on good terms with the clan. Well, it may have been different if they had known I possessed the Sharingan. However, I never told anyone.”

Sasuke didn’t even know he had the Sharingan. Things seemed to make sense to him now. How else could he be able to fight Itachi?

“I awakened the Sharingan when I was nine, but I didn’t tell anyone. I hardly used it in combat. Nobody taught me how to use it because nobody knew. It was my secret weapon. And that was a good thing. Without the Sharingan, I could face Itachi but probably not beat him. But things were different with the Sharingan. “

Sasuke eventually opened his mouth.

“How were you able to survive the fight with him?”

“I have a secret Jutsu. It’s quite powerful, but I won’t show it to you until you’re at least fifteen years old. I also have some questions for you.”

Sasuke was curious but also shocked. He couldn’t imagine what kind of Jutsu it was. On the other hand, he knew what Jun wanted to ask him. It was the same thing everyone wanted to know.

“The Hokage told me what you told him. But I need to know if Itachi gave you… instructions when he placed you under his Genjutsu. Maybe something related to your Sharingan or his.”

The question was extremely specific, and Sasuke took a moment to think. He was confused; it wasn’t the question he expected. He was a bit relieved and disappointed at the same time. However, he was anxious because he had no idea what could make Jun think that Itachi left him instructions.

“No,” the boy replied.

Jun frowned, and Sasuke felt a surge of frustration take over him. He didn’t believe him? Then, the teenager sighed and rubbed his forehead. Sasuke heard him mumbling something like ‘different circumstances’ and ‘no outside threat, maybe.’ Circumstances different from what? What other threat could there have been besides Itachi? None of it made sense to the boy.

“That’s a good thing. I was afraid he would use the trauma to trick you into getting the same Sharingan as him.”

“Why?”

Jun stared at him for a moment.

“It’s a secret of the Uchiha clan. I’ll tell you when you awaken your Sharingan.”

Sasuke clewched his jaw.

“I answered your question.”

Jun blinked, then smiled.

“Indeed, you did. You may ask another question.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment.

“Why didn’t your family live with the rest of the clan?”

Jun wasn’t expecting that question. He took the time to think about it for a few seconds.

“My mother went against the clan to marry an outsider, my father. When he died in the Nine-Tails assault, my grandparents wanted her back. Izumi and I lived with the clan for a couple of years. It was hard as we weren’t fully accepted. My mother then fell in love with another man, Kazuma’s father. My grandparents took it as an affront and kicked her out.”

“Kazuma’s father?” Sasuke repeated, frowning.

The boy recalled no adult playing that role with the Uchiha siblings. Unless it was one of the visitors who came to see them… There were several adult jonins among them.

“He’s dead. He was killed when Kazuma was two.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Sasuke blurted out, feeling stupid.

The jonin shook his head.

“You didn’t know. He was never part of our lives. My mother didn’t even reveal his identity to us. I discovered it on my own and confronted her.”

Jun paused for a brief moment.

“I will tell you when I tell Kazuma… If he doesn't find it out first on his own. In the meantime, if you learn his identity, please don’t tell anyone outside the clan.”

Sasuke’s curiosity was piqued again. Kazuma’s father must have been someone important. It must be the reason his identity is so well hidden.

“Alright.”

“Good. I guess it’s my turn to ask you a question.”

His face became serious again as he stared at Sasuke.

“Did your father tell you how my mother died?”

Sasuke sensed that the question wasn’t that simple. But the answer was no. The boy shook his head stiffly.

“I will tell you about it one day. She was killed less than twenty hours before the rest of the clan.” Jun said.

Sasuke nodded. It was very recent then. Even the boy felt like the massacre happened yesterday. For a few moments, they sat down in silence.

“I’m sorry about your family. I know you don’t want to be here. But the situation is what it is, and we have to live with it.” Jun said to the boy.

Sasuke nodded. Jun smiled before becoming serious again.

“You’re an Uchiha and a member of the clan. Do you know what that means?”

The boy hesitated and shook his head.

“I’ll teach you the Uchiha style Taijutsu and the secrets of the Sharingan when you awaken it. I will train you for as long as you need it. When you become a chunin, you can choose a summoning contract. I will be honest with you, Sasuke. I will protect you from Itachi if he comes back… And if necessary, I will kill him. It’s my duty as the clan leader.”

He took a deep breath.

“In return, you have some obligations. You will not seek Itachi to avenge the clan on your own. You will turn to me if you need help. You will show loyalty to Konoha and the Uchiha clan. You will support all my family members, including Neji and Karin, and they will do the same in return. We are a big family and a team. We must stick together. Can I count on you?”

Jun held out his hand to seal their agreement. Sasuke hesitated. He hadn’t thought about revenge, not yet., but… the idea of being forbidden to seek revenge for his parents… He didn’t want to see Itachi again, ever again. But at the same time, he wanted to. He desperately wanted to question him and cause him some pain.

But the terror and horror of the hours spent under Itachi’s Genjutsu were still fresh in his mind. He realized he wasn’t strong enough. Vengeance would probably get him killed, and he was afraid. He was angry, scared, and desperate. In a parallel universe, where he was the only survivor of the massacre, he would have clung to his hatred because it was the only thing that gave him strength. But in this world, he was not alone. He wasn’t alone and terrified. Jun was there for him. The boy took the hand and shook it.

“I want to come with you if you go track him down. I have questions for him.” Sasuke added in a hoarse voice.

Something indefinable passed through Jun's gaze.

“If I go hunt Itachi, you can come. As for your questions, I believe I have a few answers. But you are still young. I’ll give you some answers when you become a genin.”

Sasuke frowned in annoyance. There was always a condition. Why couldn’t he get everything now? Jun seemed to know a lot. Well, at least, he promised to tell him. He wasn’t like his father who never had time to talk to him about anything. Hopefully, Jun wouldn’t be like Itachi who never kept his promises to him and always apologize afterward. The teenager had looked him straight in the eye and given him his word. And Sasuke believed him.

“I have big plans for the future, and I hope you will be part of it.”

“What kind of plans?” Sasuke asked cautiously.

“There are too many to list. But the biggest and most difficult one is to guarantee the safety of our world, but I’m not holding my breath for that. I’d focus on the smaller ones first. Personally, I want to become a master in Fuinjutsu and invent a teleportation technique similar to the Yondaime’s. I also want to help Shiba-sensei rebuild the Police. There are more, and you’ll know them when the time comes.”

Sasuke had no trouble imagining Jun fulfilling his dreams. It was comforting to be part of something big. The teenager had given him many things to look forward to. Sasuke would make his way up, one step at a time.