A week Later
The somber silence of Konoha's cemetery was broken only by the soft rustle of leaves and the muffled sobs of grieving villagers. A week had passed since the devastating Konoha Crush, and the village mourned its fallen. The air was heavy with the scent of incense and the unspoken weight of loss.
Shinobi, their faces grim and lined with exhaustion, stood in silent rows, their eyes fixed on the rows of freshly dug graves. Villagers, their expressions etched with sorrow, clutched bouquets of white lilies, their tears mingling with the light drizzle that fell from the overcast sky. Hiruzen Sarutobi, his left arm bandaged, stood at the head of the procession, his aged face a mask of grief. Beside him, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, their expressions grave, offered silent support.
Sasuke Uchiha, his dark eyes shadowed and his posture rigid, returned to the Uchiha compound. The silence of his ancestral home was a stark contrast to the usual bustling activity of the village which is not the case today, but it offered a solitude he desperately craved. He lay on his bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
"So much has changed," he murmured, his voice barely audible. He replayed the events of the Konoha Crush in his mind, the unexpected twists and turns, the deviations from the timeline he remembered. "Even though I tried to change nothing until I was strong enough… maybe my presence alone is the catalyst."
He closed his eyes, his mind's eye conjuring the familiar interface of his system stats.
(Name: Sasuke Uchiha)
(Age: 13)
(Chakra Reserves: 12600/12600 [Chunin])
(Chakra Control: 42%)
(Ninjutsu: Proficient)
(Genjutsu: Intermediate)
(Taijutsu: Proficient)
(Shurikenjutsu: Adept)
(Sharingan: 42/50 [Level 2])
"My chakra reserves have increased significantly," he noted, his brow furrowed. "But still only chunin level. My Sharingan is also close to reaching 3 tomoe." He understood that combat directly influenced his stats. "I have to train harder. The timeline has already diverged too much."
He reflected on the changes he had observed: Haku and Zabuza's survival, Jiraiya's presence during the Konoha Crush, Hiruzen's survival, and the Sound Four's deaths, with only Tayuya alive and captured.
"Haku and Zabuza... Jiraiya... Hiruzen..." he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of unease. "What does this mean for the future? Will the Akatsuki still move as they did? Will Itachi…?" He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "I can't rely on my memories anymore."
"Even that gekko who was supposed to killed by Baki, has killed Baki this time unlike original storyline."
He remembered that Naruto and Jiraiya were leaving to find Tsunade the next day. He also considered Neji's altered personality, a subtle shift that had occurred without Naruto's usual "talk no jutsu."
"Even Neji has changed," he thought, his eyes narrowing. "Everything is turning different."
He rose from his bed, his expression hardening with a newfound resolve. "I have to train," he declared, his voice firm. "I have to become stronger. Not for stupid revenge, but to protect what I can. I will shape my own destiny."
He walked to the training grounds behind the compound, his footsteps echoing in the silence. The shadows of the Uchiha massacre seemed to linger in the air, but Sasuke's resolve burned brighter, a flickering flame in the encroaching darkness. He would not be bound by fate like original Sasuke. He would forge his own path.