It was a very cold experience. That was all he could really tell you about dying. It was cold and happened with a fierce quickness.

A sudden brief burst of pain and you were gone. Sasuke knew immediately, he was absolutely sure this was death. The feeling of aching coolness under his skin, the way the wound on his chest exploded. Dying was quick. It wasn't fun, it certainly wasn't something that bears repeating. Not that he could if he wanted too. Death was final wasn't it? You die and that's all you're over. You've wasted your time on Earth, now you're gone.

It was an itch you couldn't reach, the burning or cold heat. The pain was quick in retrospect, but in the moment it felt as if it lasted hundreds of years. Pain so intense it wasn't truly don't even realize your final moments are your final moments until it's all happened.

Sasuke never expected to open his eyes again. If you asked him in that final second of life he would laugh. Death was the final destination of a long journey. You could not just start another one right after.

He certainly didn't expect two pairs of concerned eyes to stare right back at him. A brief flash and he stared back.

"Sasuke?" A woman's hand reached for his face, he flinched away from her almost on instinct. Who was she? Was this his maker? Some other deity who guided you to the end? Her eyes were wide now, her mouth open. "Baby your eyes!" What?

His Sharingan. He hadn't noticed it but he could feel the burn on his right eye, the feeling of delicious power flooded him. It was like welcoming an old friend. It was activated and he couldn't believe it. But hadn't he died? What was this? One moment sinking darkness, the next horrible burning in his eye.

While having his prize in the afterlife was nice he was still very confused.

"I don't know." He said to the women. She was tearing up now but still smiling. "I don't know what's happened to me." It was the truth wasn't it? He didn't know why he spoke to her but it was almost as if he wasn't in control of his own body. Everything just felt so heavy.

"Oh baby you've gotten your quirk! We thought-" she hiccuped a little and started to laugh, "forget it! This is amazing, right Hisoka?" The man next to her continued to stare on in amazement.

He glanced around the room now, his head pounded with intense pain. He couldn't control it. It seemed to be a modest dining area that he found himself in, they were in the middle of breakfast judging by the food surrounding them.

Was this really the afterlife? A nice room and breakfast? Where two people welcome you and cry?

The women ran around the room scurrying up bowls and some type of appliance. She chatted about something, he caught brief snippets of the word quirk. That word again, what was wrong with her?

The man continued staring though. It unnerved him the way the stare penetrated him. What was his deal? The man watched him and hadn't stopped to even blink. His hands were slowly curling on his metal instrument in his hand.

He had died, yet he was alive Sasuke realized. He was breathing, these people were breathing. He could move his hands and feel pain. His body wasn't in his control; not fully at least. But this? This was life. How could he ever mistake it for death?

Though he was sure. Sasuke was more sure than anything else, he had died. Death hadn't escaped him, he felt that horrible pain. He knew it was death. But somehow he ended up here. How? Why?

These people had to be something to him. They spoke his name with familiarity. With a start he realized they felt like family. He wasn't even sure where the feeling came from. Sasuke looked at the women and felt the urge to reach for her.

Mother didn't leave me, the cry was on his lips yet he didn't understand why.

"Your quirk baby! Oh we haven't seen one of those in decades!" Black tears stained her cheeks. "Make a fortune yeah we are-" The laugh was forced now but Sasuke hardly took notice. What he had noticed was the woman floating across opposite ends of the room and screaming. It was all becoming too much for him to handle. Memories flooded his brain, dying was taking a step back in his head. He could visit that later, but these new memories?

They were exciting. Quick but sad. Sasuke felt a million emotions and feelings so intense he could hardly stand it. How could anyone live such a beautiful life? One so carelessly happy. It was hard to understand but he adapted. Sasuke always adapted. A learned trick he mastered quickly. Without he would have been dead ten times over.

His Sharingan was mistaken for a quirk, it could only activate in his right eye he noticed. These quirks were new. Almost like feats achieved by chakra. The women, his mother he realized with sudden terror, was happy for him to have this. But why?

He couldn't see out of his left eye.

He could not see out of his left eye. Why could he not see out of his left eye? Panic welled up in Sasuke's chest. It was so childish.

His father's voice drifted through his mind.

Uchiha's do not panic.

They do not cry.

You will be calm.

You will be self assured.

You will take careful consideration of your surroundings.

Fine words to live by if only Sasuke could get his head screwed on straight. Finally he forced himself to breathe in. The man was up now, no longer staring at him. The pain in his left eye no longer carelessly burned and only felt as if a shadow of it.

He forced himself to look down at his body carefully noticing how small it was. So he was indeed a child. A child, with one Sharingan, in a dining room. These two people were supposedly his parents. At least that's what these new memories said. "I don't understand." He concentrated on the words, talking was almost impossible.

Being forced into a new body upon death was an odd occurrence. One he never really thought of before.

"You don't understand what?" The man finally spoke. It was harsher than what he expected from such a small guy. His new father - though if he really could he really be called that was up for debate - turned on his heel carefully looking above his head instead of straight at him.

"Who..who are you?" It might have been stupid to admit his ignorance. But it would have been even worse if he had pretended to know who and what these people were. While he had those memories it was hard to realize what they told him. The words almost forced the words out of his mouth though. He hadn't really meant to say the words out loud, but his instincts screamed at him.

Do it. Do it. Do it. Say this. Move like that.

"Miko, he needs to go to the hospital." The man stood closer to the table and grabbed his arm roughly. Whatever small reservation he had for him seemed to disperse behind this act of false bravery. He couldn't believe this though, he couldn't do anything. His new body wasn't responding, it seemed to accept whatever was being done to it.

"What-? No he doesn't, calm down I'm sure it'll pass." The women stopped floating around and landed squarely on the ground. "It's normal."

"No It's not! Look at him! His eyes, Miko we need to get him to the hospital."

"It's a quirk dumb dumb, they're just going to send him home." She smiled though. It wa so oddly similar to someone he used to know.

It scared him.

The hospital was a quiet place. Very white and clean, almost sterile feeling. They had checked him into a room and now he was all alone.

Just Sasuke and his thoughts. Always a bad combination.

His Sharingan burned when activated, he couldn't feel his chakra, he couldn't see out of his left eye, oh and apparently he was five. The nurses had been nice to him but he could see behind their sweet expressions, it made him weary to see the bitterness behind their eyes.

Their eyes were dead, behind the cheerful glint it was gone. It came with helping the sick but still to see such jaded blankness was chilling.

Alone he could think. Alone he could plot.

So he was stuck in this room for now. He could run out without them seeing, he could take care of himself. What type of ninja would he be if he couldn't even do something as tedious as hiding?

With his mind made up he nodded to himself, but when he tried to move off the bed he couldn't. He was stuck to the bed.

"Are you kidding?" His head fell back against the pillows. He was decidedly not thinking about the fact that he had no clue what had happened to him. That he hadn't an idea as to why he was a kid. He didn't allow himself to dwell on his lack of chakra or even his eyesight.

He hadn't completely ruled out the idea of this being some demented form of the afterlife. The longer this went on though the more unlikely it seemed. Reincarnation was becoming so plausible it hurt to consider it.

He didn't have chakra, he was alone and only a child. Sasuke couldn't do anything because he was small and stuck. He was forced to follow the rule of bitter nurses and parents who scared this body worse than he could explain.

His memories spoke of happiness and ignorance to everything around him. Of parents who smiled and said the cruelest words-

To think about it would allow a panic. A short seeping panic that would engulf his throat, that would travel through his body touching his very core. Sasuke cut off the line of thought quickly, he still had his Sharingan. His fully functioning Sharingan. What did it matter if he didn't have chakra? As long as he had his birthright he would be okay.

"-not unheard of-" Sasuke sat straight up, finally whatever kept him wavered. His eyes opened dramatically, he could feel the Sharingan come to life. Though his right eye opened it was still blind to the world.

But the sudden feeling of rightness. He was in complete control now and he wasn't sure why. While before his body hardly listened to every command now it had no choice. Perhaps he had pushed past whoever this was previously, a young boy with no future.

A Sasuke of a different world, where people had strange powers and weird technology. Where people laughed without a care in the world. Where they turned a bind eye to the horrors and cruelty-

"The Sharingan hasn't been seen in a millennia it's a miracle-"

How had they known?

"Oh! You shouldn't be awake sweetheart." A woman with the face of a cat appeared. He would have screamed if she had given him the chance, she lifted her hand and tapped his head.

His eyes drifted close, the woman stopped smiling now. No, she was frowning he couldn't-

When he woke up things were clearer. He could understand now what he couldn't accept before.

So the bastard killed him, or had attempted to at least. Maybe he did some weird jutsu and transported him to the future or some parallel dimension.

Accepting his death wasn't a problem. That wasn't a real problem, he could deal with this actually. His work in Konoha was done. Danzo was dead, Naruto would become Hokage. He had righteneed his wrongs. Things were okay.

It didn't mean he had been ready to move on though. Killed by some stupid ninja out for revenge? For what? He couldn't even remember what the guy had said. Sasuke had killed so many people it was almost a blur. Surely he wasn't expected to know everyone's name?

That wasn't to say he blamed the guy for going after him. After all, Sasuke had done the same thing a time or two. It was fine; really it was completely fine.

Sasuke could learn to deal. He could do what they wanted and escape. He would be free, he would not be chained down.

"Awaken little boy." His eye opened without his consent. The room was blurry and smelled odd. The man was different from any he had seen before. This wasn't the man from the dining room, this wasn't the doctor or even one of the nurses.

No this man was different. He didn't hide his true face behind all the little pretenses the others put up. "It's nice of you to join us, please sit up. I apologize for having to put you to sleep." When he smiled it was genuine. Sasuke was immediately put on alert.

"Where are my parents?" He had to pretend, Sasuke couldn't allow himself to let his guard down now. He was a child, they saw him as a child. They didn't see the man who could kill at a glance. They didn't understand what he was capable of.

"Right about that, so your parents let us take you." The man paused, "I mean that in the nicest way possible. So uh, god how do people deal with children? Let me um, your quirk it's uh, dangerous? Yeah dangerous! We did a little convincing but you'll still see them please don't cry!"

He held back the tiny little smirk. Children would cry if they were told they were kidnapped. Children wouldn't allow themselves to be held back by the idea of crying being weak. They simply didn't care, because children were weak selfish creatures who would use anything and everything to get what they wanted.

The man stood from his seat, his large green hair bounced with every step he took to Sasuke. "I mean that you'll be trained to handle your quirk. It could hurt people! Don't you want to be a good boy? Defeat the bag guys just like All Might!"

Sasuke had no clue what this man was talking about. Why would anyone want to be like this All Might? His mind helpfully supplied an image of a large blond man. Yet it did little to help.

All he really was understanding was that it was fun to mess with him and make him flounder around. "I want my parents!" He let the little whine come out now. It almost reminded him of when he used to do this to Itachi.

"You can see them later! When you can control your-" the man stopped short and started choking on nothing. "Close your eyes it freaks me out brat!" Finally he snapped. His smile hadn't left his face and his eyes hadn't changed but the tone of his voice brooked no argument.

Unfortunately for Sasuke he was no longer an adult with the fighting power of a million men. He no longer had the aura of a fighter and killer. Instead he was a small adorable child who whined and annoyed people. Obedience was a survival instinct he learned early on. The tone of the man, the smile! It reminded him of his mother. It was almost instinct to listen.

Sasuke hated the government. This was something that stayed consistent while crossing over. Though he had no intention of going back to Konoha or his home life, that didn't stop his wistful thinking of running away.

This world's government held a front vying for justice. They hailed the idea of heroes and villains. They touted morals, stupid horrible morals that would get you killed.

Do not kill, they told the public. Allow the heroes to safely apprehend the villains. The heroes are justice, they will protect you. The police will hurt you, the heroes will protect you, the villains will break the law set by the government.

It was silly the way they all followed. It was silly how they couldn't see past their symbol of peace, how they couldn't see the real villains being protected.

Their government took children under the guise of training their quirks for suitable use. Wasn't that what he told his parents?

"They're gonna make sure I don't hurt anyone!" His mother, this woman, smiled and laughed at his declaration. She hugged him as if he was the reason she breathed.

"That's great baby, you'll be the best hero one day."

The government took children and indoctrinated them. The blatant brainwashing and propaganda. It was so obvious he was surprised the civilians didn't even notice.

Sasuke stayed in government sanctioned dorms, he hardly saw the other children but he knew they were there. Quiet little children who moved sluggishly and didn't talk. They all would sit in a large room and watch movies about villains and how they destroyed society.

Three years of indoctrination. Sasuke often wondered what it would be like if he didn't remember himself, if he was really a child like them. Would he fall for it as they did? Would he hunt them? Would he do as they said? Would he obey?

His world hadn't even bothered to make them believe being a ninja was a noble thing. You did it because you wanted glory, to protect your village, to bring pride to your family. Risking your life for the sake of the community. For the good of everyone.

Heroes and Villains. It was so black and white. Good and bad. There were only two sides and one was the right side to join. He couldn't believe it, the lack of nuance was tragic within itself.

They talked to them no longer as children but as little soldiers, it was simple. That's what they were to them now. Soldiers to be used for their bidding. The other children watched with the life sucked out of them.

But Sasuke wasn't like them. He refused them; he refused their teaching. He would not be chained down. He would not be chained down. Not to the heroes, not to the government. No one.

It was because of this that he was chosen to meet the pro heroes. They did that sometimes for the press. Pose with the small children, smile and laugh. Don't make a wrong move, you know the consequences. The little tiny vipers would know.

They always knew. They're always watching you. They know when you're sleeping, they know when you're awake. They know when you activate your quirk and when you use it for the final time.

The government knows everything. Because they were the real heroes. They were the ones protecting you. They would save you from your own pain.

Isn't that right Sasuke? Won't you be a good boy and come with us? Smile for the heroes! You're a natural Sasuke so good. You'll listen won't you? You know we're protecting you don't you?

The other children didn't understand that concept, they would cry once they reached the heroes and beg for help. It would raise suspicions of what the government was really doing with all the children they took in. The others weren't trained. They weren't fit for the life they were told to live.

But him though, no they knew him too well. The scientist smiled at him and bribed him with surprises if he obeyed. If he didn't run, they knew he could run but he stayed. Surprises were good weren't they? You liked them before Sasuke. You'll get more if you go and obey.

"He doesn't run as long as he continues receiving them," The green haired scientist said without an ounce of concern for his audience.

It was childish but he was a child wasn't he? He was allowed small things like this. An Uchiha does not-

He was jostled out of his thoughts quickly as the elevator he stood in opened. A crowd of adults stood around. Each wearing a ridiculous outfit that was horrible for stealth operations. If this were the ninja world they would be dead.

Except this wasn't the ninja world. This was the world with no chakra but weird powers all the same. The heroes all around smiled at him. Laughs burst out of their mouths, motion burst around. He resisted the urge to activate his Sharingan and capture the moment.

It was a beautiful moment actually, adults who cared and wanted peace. A bunch of Naruto's with their shining light. Wasn't that Naruto's dream? Peace? It was sudden but he felt his chest tighten. He avoided the idea of his unlikely friend.

"Hello!" He heard them all greeting him. But he didn't focus on them, instead his eyes drifted to a man they all revered. The only thing that could bring light to those children's faces. He was their hope, he made them happy.

Sasuke wasn't attached to those other children, really he wasn't, he hardly even saw them. But that didn't matter, because seeing something so blinding and cute had an effect on everyone.

"All might!" The smile on his face was accidental. Never had he allowed himself the thought of a hero to look up to. It wasn't right, it wasn't possible.

Yet the man stood in front of him and smiled. The symbol of peace, this was what Naruto wished for. This is what he worked and staked his life on.

The idea of peace.

"You're a lot bigger in real life." His mouth was hardly moving without his consent. The voice, it was almost nostalgic. Hadn't he talked to Itachi like this once upon a time? He could almost remember his brother's kind smile.

All Might let out a loud laugh. "What's your name young man?"

"Sasuke." That wasn't his name anymore.

"It's nice to meet you Sasuke!" No they took it away from him.

"Can I have your autograph?" The government is stealing children and turning them into killers.

"Of course you can! Here I have a paper-" They were just like Danzo, it might as well have been called operation root.

"Can anyone be a hero?" Are you willing to look past those you listen to and save us?

"Of course! Just work extra har-" You are all alone.

He wanted to say all of this yet he held his silence. Heroes could only help civilians, they wouldn't do anything. Not even All Might. Sasuke saw past the hero facade, he knew better.

It was tragic. Life was sad but you got over it. He would do something about it, one day when he had the power. When he had the body-

"Have you met hawks yet? Look he wanted-"

He wanted to go back to bed. But no one ever asked Sasuke what he liked.

"You should cut your hair." It was the first thing the boy that always sat next to him said. How long had they been partnered and never a word shared. Just silent action.

Sasuke could concede that he could have talked first and not left it up to the boy. But he liked the quiet stillness of the air. He liked the sound of swords clashing and heavy breathing.

After a long pause he answered. "Why?"

The boy waited even longer before replying back. "You look like a girl."

"What's wrong with that?"

He didn't answer. The boy just watched him. "Nothing I guess."

Sasuke looked away.

The fourth year was the game changer. At nine years old they were given a purpose beyond training.

"You have to assassinate the targets given."

They were children.

"They're villains who deserve death."

It didn't matter.

"Crimes against humanity-"

Was this what the heroes fought for? The right for children to kill their targets, for them to do the dirty work as they obsessed over the press.

His eye burned, the man hardly twitched as he met his gaze calmly. Sasuke could not do anything here. Not now.

He would bid his time. He would allow himself to be trained, to grow stronger and stronger. Surpass your limits, and then do it again.

"You'll be training your quirks to be most effective. Each of you will have a specialization."

They were nine.

By seventh year Sasuke had killed three people. It was different Sasuke thought. Different from before. In his world you killed or you were killed. You killed for survival, it was quick. You didn't take joy in your killing.

You did it to protect the pack.

They didn't allow that here. They took his powers and forced him to use it the way they wanted. Sasuke was powerless. He lost all agency. But how? How could he allow himself to this point?

It was funny. Sasuke could almost laugh at how stupid he was. He thought he was in control, he thought he understood the game.

He didn't understand that the game changed and they wouldn't tell you the new rules. The game would eat you alive and you would never know because you're still playing checkers while they moved on to chess.

The government put together a glorified Root, they were Danzo with more support. It was a scary thought. But he would push on for now. He wouldn't be chained down, he would escape.

Sasuke stared at his reflection. His dorm was small and showed nothing of what he was truly like. The only thing added that wasn't there previously was the mirror that he now stared into.

"I never realized how much I look like him." He spoke out loud for a sense of normalcy. No one spoke here now. They talked through movement. "You would already be gone wouldn't you Itachi? You wouldn't have allowed yourself to be chained down and broken."

He hadn't grown his hair out to mimic his brother. Really he hadn't payed much attention to it until now. It was just past his shoulders, he had even styled it in a way Itachi favored.

"I'm always following after you even in death." It was sad but it was true. "I didn't mean to kill them, they hadn't told me that I had to. But I did. They were happy. Maybe I won't kill anyone anymore."

He had no qualms about killing, but when it made them happy he was more than willing to join the moral congress.

No, Sasuke thought detachedly, killing isn't the problem. The problem was you.

He covered his right eye now. It was useless, he still didn't know what had happened to it. "I've learned much since you were gone. I can move with no sight now."

They had forced him to learn.

"You can't rely on that eye for everything. You must protect yourself with no quirk!"

He hadn't understood but he listened. They didn't understand his quirk fully but they thought they did. He would keep it to himself.

"I really miss you Itachi. I don't know if you can hear me but I do." It didn't matter what he had done. Itachi was his brother, he protected him. What had he done in return?

Sasuke turned away from his reflection and instead stood. He couldn't live in regret forever, he had to keep moving.

I'm afraid, I'm afraid of what will happen if I stop and look at what I've done. Sasuke thought, quickly he looked in the mirror and turned away for the final time.

They expected him in the training hall.

When he was fourteen years old they allowed him to leave on his own. Just for a few hours.

But the brief time spent alone was glorious. Liberating really.

Heroes roamed the streets decked to the nines in their costumes, playing charades with the civilian mind. Reinforcing the propaganda that all was well.

Sasuke could only smile and shake his head as he walked past them. He knew better and that was all that mattered. He didn't owe them his loyalty.

He walked aimlessly not really knowing where he was headed. Sasuke hardly even noticed that he was moving into territories that had very little heroes. Now that he paid actual attention he realized it was the slums.

A softer man may feel fear for the are but not Sasuke. He had fought much worse in this universe and even more powerful in his own world.

It was a wonderful feeling to walk amongst people who seemed to hide behind nothing. They were downtrodden but they had pride. They walked with the gait of people who could fight.

He respected it. He truly did, but it didn't matter. He was stuck here and that was it. As he looked at these people, with their eyes of ice he knew for final that what he knew wasn't right.

He would never return home. He would never see Naruto and his smile again, Sakura's beautiful everything, Sensei and his porn. He couldn't believe this slum reminded him so eerily of Konoha.

He couldn't allow this. He needed to kill his emotions.

It was hard. It was painful. But it had to be done.

To dwell on his past was a death sentence.

You died once Sasuke, you cannot live in your mistakes.

When he was nineteen he ran away.

They didn't try to stop him.

Unfortunately he didn't know the world as well as he thought he did. He couldn't go back to his parents, he tried that once.

They thought he was dead. Have you ever seen your own funeral? Sasuke had stood in the back as the put the casket into the ground. His mother had practically thrown herself to the floor in her grief.

He couldn't comfort her, to reveal himself would put her and his father at risks. Sasuke had grown attached he realized. Attached to them with the limited interactions he loved them. Had it mattered what they had done? That they smiled as he was dragged away from them?

"-made a fortune off him Kami!" He still remembered his slushed words. The words of a father reveling in his new fortune.

It was with a heavy heart he turned away.

He hadn't meant to join the villains. He still didn't really believe in the idea of heroes and villains but that didn't mean anything.

Sasuke had no intention of being tied down. He told himself that. Yet when he met the mans eyes he listened.

"I won't join you." He had said. "But I will do what I can to help."

Though he couldn't see it, he was sure. Overhaul smiled. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk right back.