Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Summary: Sasuke wakes up in a different time, missing his eye, with no way back.

Notes: This story can be found at my livejournal (where it is updated at first) at www . livejournal . com / users / compagnie (without the spaces). Or just check my profile. Thanks for your time!

Without Looking Back

By: Hana J.

Sasuke woke up bound to a hard hospital bed. There was no feeling in his left eye; around it throbbed, tender with pain and the skin felt swollen. He kept his right eye shut and his breathing even. Noise: muffled footsteps, shifting fabric, and quiet voices.

"His heartbeat changed." Sasuke didn't recognize the voice as Kabuto's, but it could have been any medic-nin collecting the warrant on his arrest.

"Is he awake?" asked another, deeper male voice. A shadow dropped over his form, Sasuke felt it like a cold blanket being draped over him. His shirt had been removed, along with his belt, sword, and other weapons. His pants were still on, though they stuck to his right calf from dried blood.

"No, vital signs remain normal. The drug shouldn't wear off yet."

"Have you found anything?" The footsteps faded away and the shadow disappeared.

"It's amazing, so much different from what we predicted! The nerves that—"

"Have you found anything?"

The answer, more reluctant than the first, made Sasuke test the bindings that were tightened over his wrist, chest, and ankles. "Nothing that can be duplicated on a body that isn't blessed with the Uchiha's unique chakra. Unlike other ninja, or even other bloodlines, the Uchiha's chakra stream is directed toward the eyes. It's not something that can be recreated without drastic surgery and even then—"

"We have willing shinobi," the other man interrupted. "The Uchiha Clan is one of the main factions keeping us from winning this war. The police department has been turned into a fortress of men, becoming Konoha's walls. We cannot even get in during the night because of their blasted eyes."

"Sir, we would have to—"

The man's shadow dropped over him again and Sasuke felt fingers hovering over his face, brush his side and pick up an object near the bed. "We were lucky to even find this specimen. The Uchiha destroy their corpses." The bottle sloshed as he set it back down. Sasuke opened his one eye. The man stared back at him and burst into flame.

Chakra exploded from Sasuke's body in a screech of birds, breaking the bindings and short-circuiting the equipment around him. An alarm sounded, Sasuke shoved a metal piece of equipment into the doctor's eye and picked up the undamaged bottle next to the bed.

The bottle held his left eye.

An explosion rocked the ground they were standing on, dust rising in the distance. "What—what was that?" Obito craned up, trying to see passed the trees and sprouting mushrooms. They were almost to the border.

"There shouldn't be any strongholds around here," Yondaime informed them.

Obito squinted. "But there's so much dust."

"Of course there is," Kakashi said, exasperation coloring his words. "There was just an explosion."

"I know that—"

"I think we can continue this discussion another time," Yondaime cut in. Obito noticed he was staring at something, and then he saw it too. Several black specks were speeding away from the area, toward them and—

"Those are hidden rock ninjas," Yondaime told them, gesturing for them to move back into cover. Kakashi didn't seem to mind that his command had been temporarily vetoed, Obito thought with some glee. So much for Kakashi commanding his first mission!

The ninjas were coming closer, Obito could see them signaling to each other, though he couldn't make out what the hand-movements were communicating. A boy flickered into view in front of them. Blood was dripping down his face and onto his bare chest. A fat purple belt had a sheath stuck through it and a sword was held in his hand. The blade sung with chakra and the ninjas stopped, startled, when they saw him. Several attempted to flee, back toward the destruction but they didn't get a chance. Obito watched them get run-through by a boy only a little older than him.

Bile clawed up his throat but Obito swallowed it back down. He hadn't—he hadn't had to kill anyone yet. Not like that. But the man did it effortlessly, with a grace Obito had never had.

Then, Obito saw his eye.

Sasuke had buried the bottle before he took after the men who had stolen his eye from him. He didn't know if he would be able to gain it back, but these men had probably never come across an Uchiha before—even though their words had said otherwise. Sasuke was going to show them exactly what the Sharingan was capable of—with only one eye.

There was only one man left who hadn't been felled by his sword. Sasuke flicked his wrist and sheathed it.

"How's your eye, Uchiha?"

False bravado never did any good. Sasuke just looked at him and then his eye changed. "Mangekyou Sharingan," he whispered. "You will be tortured by my sword for three days. On the last day, I will rip out your eyes with my bare hands." Screaming filled the air and Sasuke watched him collapse, blood filming around the edges of his mouth.

He was just about to go retrieve the jar with his eye when he heard a nearby rustle. Tilting his head, Sasuke flickered out of existence and appeared right next to Obito. "Who are you?"

Obito scrambled backwards, hands failing to find any of the numerous kunai he had on him, and stuttered out—"we're family—family! Uchiha Obito!"

Sasuke watched him for a minute, unfazed. He certainly had a resemblance to his family, but he must be stupid. Only an idiot would tell such a lie; everyone knew the Uchiha Clan was dead.

It was the shock of silver hair, a chin covered face, and the familiar features of his old teacher that stopped him from killing Uchiha Obito. "Hatake Kakashi," he said slowly. The other boy watched him warily, one hand holding up a ridiculous looking kunai.

A flash of gold had him whirling around, sword in hand, blocking the thrust meant for his shoulder. He recognized this face, though he had only seen it in old pictures and on a monument. This wasn't an illusion.

"You're fast," Yondaime said, a smile edging it's way out past his worry. "We're all from Konoha here, so how about we put down the weapons?"

Sasuke lowered his sword, but didn't put it away. He watched as the Yondaime slipped the kunai back up his sleeve.

"You're hurt. Rin, do you have your medical bag with you?"

"Got it!" a pretty girl with blonde hair called out from behind Kakashi.

"I need to retrieve my eye," Sasuke said, turning. He didn't wait for an answer. It didn't matter what time he was in, he was still a traitor to Konoha and no longer had to answer to anyone.

He came back cradling the jar beneath his arm. It sloshed as he held it up for Rin to inspect. She gasped, but reached out a hand for a closer look.

"We—we need to clean out your eye."

"First, we should secure the area," Yondaime said, though it was obvious to Sasuke that he had been doing just that. Obito was gone, probably scouting, and Kakashi was checking out the nearby area for traps.

"It's fine," Sasuke said. "I killed them all."

Yondaime's gaze sharpened on him at that, but he didn't say anything else. Rin cleaned around his left eye socket and Obito came back, staring at him strangely.

"What did you say your name was?"

"Sasuke."

"Weird, I don't recognize you."

"It's a big clan," Sasuke said, tightening his grip on his belt as Rin began to clean out the hollow where his eye had once been.

"I should put some—"

"No," Sasuke breathed out between clinched teeth. "I don't need it. Just do what you can as I am." He didn't want to be put asleep, numbed, or affected in any way. The last thing he needed was losing his senses around people he didn't know or trust.

Kakashi was trying to pretend like he wasn't staring at him, but Sasuke caught the way he was frowning at the ground, at Obito, at anyone except Sasuke.

"Where's your forehead protector?" Obito said suddenly.

"I didn't stop to pick it up." Sasuke closed his one eye, hissing in pain as Rin attempted to put his other eye back in.

"It—it won't be like it was," she said softly, her face conveying her pity. "It might not even work or your body could reject it as it would a transplant. You can't use it for a few days, possibly a few weeks." She wrapped a cloth around his eye, giving him a temporary eye-patch.

"That's fine, I only need one eye anyway." It wasn't fine though, but what choice did Sasuke have?

"We should move and make camp elsewhere. We'll need to review the mission, now that their stronghold was revealed. You'll have to tell us what you know," Yondaime said, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke stared back and shrugged. When they made camp later, Kakashi, Rin and Obito huddled around a map with Yondaime. Sasuke sat farther away, the map's view blocked by Yondaime's broad shoulders.

Eye itching, clothed in one of Yondaime's extra shirts, Sasuke told them everything he knew about the Earth Country.

Sasuke woke up screaming. Someone shoved a glove in his mouth, large hands held him down by his shoulders, his legs were pinned by a heavy weight, and the words—gaton no jutsu—brought light to the camp.

Yondaime held him down, while Obito made a small fire. Rin was peering over Yondaime's shoulder, gently extracting the fabric covered over his eye. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop screaming. His eye stuck to the fabric, tore away with it and he struggled against the Yondaime's hold.

"Oh," Rin breathed, her voice high and trembling. It wasn't a good sound. "Your body—it's rejecting it. Maybe, maybe I didn't put in right. Let me see." Sasuke could hear her rummaging through her bag. The sock was making it hard to breath, but he hadn't bit down on his tongue, just his cheek. He wished he had though, if only to direct the pain elsewhere.

Something pricked him in the arm, and before Sasuke could protest, darkness enveloped him.

He woke up and it was day. The sun was shining, Kakashi, Obito and Rin were not in the camp and Yondaime was sitting beside his makeshift bed. The girl Rin was lucky to be gone, Sasuke felt like killing someone. "How are you feeling?"

Sitting up, Sasuke had to bite back a shriek. His vision felt tilted, the way it had ever since he had woken up in the hospital, and he knew that his eye was missing. "What happened?"

"Your eye was rejected."

Sasuke smiled. His life was just perfect. "And?"

"And we've placed it back in the jar. The liquid will help preserve it until we return to Konoha. A more experienced medic-nin may be able to make the transplant."

Kabuto wouldn't have been able to replace his eye if it'd been missing from his socket for a week. He might be able to give him a false eye, but not the Sharingan. Sasuke exhaled the breath that seemed trapped in his chest. "I don't need it any more."

But he wanted it back.

"I'm sorry," Yondaime offered, setting a meager bowl of soup and a rice cracker in front of him. "Our mission will be completed soon; they may have time to repair your eye."

Doubtful, but a part of Sasuke still hoped. "Hmph." He ate his food and tried to get used to the sensation of having his movements off. It hadn't bothered him in his fight, Orochimaru had taught him how to compensate for limbs—and eyes—lost, but now, doing something as little as holding chopsticks, Sasuke felt it's loss as large as any limb.

He touched the gauze covering his face, but made no move to look where they had put the bottle.

Halfway through the day, Sasuke got a headache. He grit his teeth and helped Yondaime pack up the camp. By the other man's predictions, Team Kakashi should be back any time. The sun was starting to sink below the horizon and a chill wind had picked up. Sasuke turned toward the sound, Yondaime following his movement, and Kakashi strode through the woods, carrying Obito on his back and Rin behind him.

Smiling, Sasuke watched their approach, but his smile disappeared at the familiar spectacle they made.

"Idiot got hit by a rock." Kakashi jostled Obito roughly, but not enough to hurt him.

"He has a concussion," Rin explained, not seeming at all bothered by her bloodstained shirt.

Yondaime sighed and then started unpacking. "We'll stay here another night, but be on guard. Someone may have seen last nights fire."

Rin busied herself by making up Obito's bed. Yondaime inspected him further as Kakashi held him. Sasuke felt like an intruder but sat down near the center of the camp, next to the fire's old ashes.

"Ow, stop fucking hitting me, Kakashi," Obito slurred, eyes cracked and lined with red. "I got my Sharingan, sensei."

Yondaime smiled; in that moment he looked like Naruto had just before Sasuke killed him. He looked tired, but happy. "That's great, Obito. I knew you would."

Kakashi scoffed, but laid him down gently onto the bedding Rin made up.

Sasuke waited until it became quiet again, only Obito's constant grumbling breaking the mood (followed by Kakashi's constant needling), before offering to take the first and last watch.

The night passed slowly and Obito spoke up suddenly—which quickly turned into a yelp. "Hey, what the hell?" he hissed, at least not stupid enough to wake up his team. It was possible that Obito's teammates were all ready awake, but when they didn't move or make any other sound except for breathing, Sasuke slipped down from his perch into the tree and next to Obito. He hulled his shruiken out of the ground.

"You surprised me."

"Heh. Well, that doesn't mean you have to almost kill me. Invalid, right here," Obito said, gesturing wildly.

Sasuke slipped the shruiken back into his pouch. "Shut up, you're going to wake someone."

Obito snorted as he answered. "Nah, Kakashi's such a prick that he won't admit that he sleeps like the dead. I'd have to kick him in the face for that asshole to wake up."

Saying nothing, Sasuke hoped to discourage the conversation, but it seemed Obito was a lot like Naruto had been—he didn't need anyone else to keep up a conversation with, he held it quite well on his own.

"When did you get your Sharingan?"

Sighing, Sasuke knew if he didn't answer Obito would bug him the rest of the night. It didn't make a difference, anyway. "When I was twelve."

"Younger than me," Obito mused.

Sasuke jumped back up into the tree, but that didn't deter Obito's company.

"Why was your's so different?"

That was treading into dangerous territory. Sasuke didn't know what to expect when he returned to Konoha, not only was his previous sensei younger than him, he had no connection to the village other than his bloodline ability. They didn't know that yet, but they would. There were only so many lies Sasuke could get away with and he had to choose them carefully.

"I don't know what you mean."

"It looked funny." Obito peered up into the treetops, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of Sasuke's Sharingan right at that moment. Sasuke 'hmphed' and let a few branches come between them.

Finally, maybe because Obito really did remind him of Naruto: annoying, unable to shut up, and constantly picking fights with—not him—Kakashi, Sasuke said something just to provoke. "Your face looks funny."

"Wha—WHAT? You asshole, come down here and—" Obito slumped over. Sasuke looked down at him and swung back up into the tree. Rin probably would have yelled at him if she knew he had just whacked her patient, and friend, in the back of the head with the handle on his kunai so soon after a concussion. He hoped Obito told her.

It wouldn't do permanent damage, but it did give him silence for the rest of his watch.

Sasuke woke up before Yondaime had gotten Obito, Kakashi and Rin stirring. They were still sleeping and Sasuke glared at Yondaime, who waved at him. "I was supposed to have last watch."

"Well, I figured you needed the rest." Yondaime smiled at him and fanned the campfire. He offered Sasuke a plump rice cake, which Sasuke took. "Your eye needed the rest, even if you didn't," he said, forestalling Sasuke's argument.

Stuffing his mouth full of rice cake, Sasuke began to put the spare blankets away. He didn't bother saying thank you, because he wasn't thankful.

Obito yawned loudly, protesting as a foot kicked him in the side. "Wake up, waste of space." Rolling onto his side, Obito glared at Kakashi.

"Go to hell."

"Obito, time to get up," Yondaime said. Obito heard his sensei's amusement and dragged himself away from his bed.

"Fine fine—ow, Kakashi, dammit!" Snatching at Kakashi's ankle, and missing, Obito moaned and grabbed his head. "I feel like someone beat my head in." He stood up, dusted off his clothes and began putting his things into a small travel pouch. As he straightened, he caught that freaky boy's eye, and saw him smirking. "What?"

Sasuke didn't bother to answer him, per usual. Obito dug around in his kunai pouch for his eye drops and looped his goggles around his head. "Stupid relatives and their stupid—hey, Kakashi what was that for?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Obito glared.

"I didn't do anything, stupid."

Sputtering, Obito didn't get a chance to reply as Kakashi walked toward Yondaime, his bag already hitched on his back. "Stupid Kakashi," Obito muttered as he squeezed a few drops of liquid into his eyes.

Obito's feet were sore, his head felt stuffed with cotton, and they still had two more hours of fast-jogging before they entered Konoha's borders. "Man, this sucks," Obito said to no one. Kakashi pulled ahead of him with a smirk. Rin jogged behind him, her medical bag slung over her shoulders, her overnight bag strapped to her waist. Sasuke stayed just to the side of Yondaime, a little closer to the rear. Obito knew why, even if his teacher wasn't saying. Yondaime had been keeping his eye on Sasuke, despite his blood hailing from Obito's family.

Thinking too much, Obito slipped, caught his balance, and grumbled at Kakashi's amused look. He wanted to try and call up the Sharingan, but was even more afraid than before. What if he couldn't do it again? Sasuke had called up his with so much ease that Obito couldn't help but be jealous.

But then, Sasuke only had one eye. There wasn't a lot to be jealous of.

Reaching the outskirts of Konoha, Obito breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't out of danger yet, but after everything that had happened, it felt good to be home. Yondaime froze, signaling them all to stop. Obito stood on his tip toes, straining to see what had stopped his teacher. Then, he wished he hadn't seen.

Kyuubi .