A/N: Imagine not knowing of Naruto, imagine not having ever heard even bits or pieces about it. And then imagine being reborn as one of the main characters within it. Imagine never having killed, imagine having lived a peaceful life in a country where war had never been something on your mind. And then think of how it would be to have to grow up to become someone who could kill with a flick of their wrist, and be commended for it.

That's what this is.

Also, this is just a one-shot, I don't know if I'll ever update on this part specifically. I'm in the process of writing several of these things but with one chapter for every character. So next chapter I update will have a different character, and so on. I just put it as complete because technically the updates I post are complete.

Disclaimer: As usual, I shouldn't even have to point out the many differences between me and the creator of Naruto.

I had read 'Pride and Prejudice' once. Just once, but with the help of the internet, there were several quotes from that book that I'd learned by heart, and one of them was 'laugh as much a you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion'. I liked that quote just as much as it disgruntled me.

Not only did it imply that you should stick to your opinion and not allow the mockery of others stop you from believing, it also spoke of stubbornness. What if we were wrong and proved to be fools? What if the truth was that we were being prejudiced and cruel by association? Should we still stick to those opinions?

I guess what I really should have thought of was if I could survive the public bias, should I have chosen to kept to my opinion in this very special case, because as it was now, I was facing incarceration and possibly execution. And all that was at fault was my own idiocy for not realizing that I was not making things better for myself by outwardly speaking wrongs of the protectors of this world.

The Shinobi had good reasons for wanting to be rid of me, as I was challenging their very existence.

A whisper had led me astray, the roots in the dark had not taken hold in the earth, I hadn't listened to the indoctrination of the 'ninja way' or 'will of fire'. I had chosen to hold onto my past and stick my head in the dirt. And now, the rest of my body would follow.

I had no doubt I would have wallowed in these thoughts, if it wasn't for a hushed murmur calling my new name, calling for, "Sasuke."

Raising my head, I turned blank eyes upon the only person who would never abandon me, never leave me, except for if I were to be careless with my words. I did not know if I would have to explain myself to him, perhaps he knew me in a way I thought he couldn't. He had watched me grow into this new life, had watched and protected me as well as he could, before I had begun opening my mouth and letting all the wrong words fall out.

I just hadn't wanted to be a ninja, I didn't want to live in a world where people died every day for something like that. I'd thought that if I began early, eventually they would see what a better world it could be if we didn't need ninja. I'd just started at the wrong path to it.

"Itachi," A mumble left me, almost cracking in the middle at the dryness that came with not having spoken for so long. "W-why-?"

"Little brother," His tone seemed almost impossibly fond as he regarded me from the door, but he did not stop there, choosing to march in to lift me into his arms, and trusting him as I did - and welcoming death for my own world if he chose to end me - I let him. I would never have won a fight against him, nor did I want to, with what I knew of him.

I'd heard of a theory, once. The immersion theory. It went a little along the lines of throwing someone into the deep end of the pool and expecting them to very quickly learn swimming. Well, I'd learned, alright. Just, where most would learn the flawless butterfly technique or whatever, I'd learned to doggy paddle. Mainly, that meant I'd survived by latching on to the closest family I had and forcing them to love me, because I hadn't wanted to die before I could protect myself from this dangerous world.

Short version: I trusted them to love me enough to keep me alive. And if they couldn't do that, it meant no one would. So, if they were the ones to end me, I'd know I had a worse fate in store that they wanted to save me from.

I placed my head on the shoulder of my big brother and watched as we left my little cell. There were no one around, so I couldn't tell if this was a breakout or if this was me actually being freed. The uniform Itachi was wearing should have been a hint to the latter, but then, that could be just for the sake of smuggling me out. I didn't know if I even wanted to know what was reality in this case.

I could hope desperately that it was freedom given, not freedom taken, but I was too old to believe that. No ninja would allow the freedom of someone speaking against their existence.

It was dark outside when we finally got there, which spoke more for the side of me that said this was an escape attempt, and I still couldn't see or hear anyone else. Not that I'd notice if anyone wanted to remain hidden, I hadn't, despite my awe at the possibility of walking upon water, allowed myself to train in the ninja arts.

After all, if I did not practice what I preach, who would ever listen to me?

Itachi had become a ninja. He had probably killed, too. But I would forgive him that, because I never saw the killer in him. I was never forced to confront that as a fact before, and I hoped I never would, because I needed to be able to cling to someone who could still love me no matter what I said. Without being afraid of them. And Itachi was that for me.

Which meant that when we did not once turn to where I vaguely remembered the Uchiha, we, lived, and passed the walls of the village without seeing a single soul, I did not speak a single word, content to trust in him until he forced me not to.

I would happily live a life of lies with Itachi so long as he would love me enough to allow me to.