In An Alternate Universe Of Naruto In Sasuke Uchiha

God, Sasuke hated the academy. It was unbearable. Every lesson was something he had already learned, each one a tedious waste of time. He could barely suppress the frustration bubbling within him, knowing this was just another day of sitting through what felt like an endless loop of repetition. He already knew how to perform the basic ninjutsu techniques—had mastered them a long time ago—and now he was being forced to endure these lessons with no end in sight.

The academy had already approached his parents about an early graduation, but was immediately denied by his mother. She didn't want Sasuke to be a shinobi just yet, she was the same with Itachi. But Itachi was extremely adamant on becoming a shinobi, so she relented. Sasuke on the other hand didn't mind staying in the academy, although he was coming to regret that decision.

Iruka, the academy instructor, was currently teaching the class the basics of ninjutsu, something Sasuke had learned long ago. As the words droned on in the background, Sasuke couldn't help but rest his head on the desk, his eyes closed, desperately trying to block out the monotony. It was as if the room had fallen into a collective stupor, save for the few who still clung to the illusion of learning something new.

Then came a light nudge on his shoulder, followed by a voice—quiet but familiar.

"Iruka sensei just gave you the dirtiest look I've ever seen."

Sasuke barely shifted his gaze, just enough to glimpse the source of the voice. It was Menma, his red-haired, dark-eyes best friend, looking as bored as Sasuke felt. Menma had inherited his mother's appearance, but his eyes—sharp and calculating—always made him stand out. And then there were those six distinctive whisker marks, three on either cheek, something Sasuke thinks he inherited from neither of his parents, instead the nine tailed beast inside his mother.

Sasuke sighed, his tone a mix of annoyance and indifference. "Well, Menma, I couldn't give a flying fuck how Iruka looks at me."

Menma rolled his eyes, he's friend really had a vulgar tongue but he couldn't suppress the smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "C'mon, man, don't be like that. You know he's frustrated that you're not paying attention. Maybe you could at least lift your head up."

Sasuke shot him a glance, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And do what, exactly? Listen to more stuff I already know?"

Before Menma could respond, a loud voice echoed across the room.

"Naruto!!"

The voice belonged to Iruka, who was currently glaring at the boy sitting in the front row. Naruto, always the troublemaker, had been distracted— trying flirting with some of the girls seated ahead of him.

Iruka pointed a stern finger at him. "Get up from that seat and go sit by your brother. You're distracting others who want to learn!"

Naruto groaned, reluctantly getting up and shuffling to the back row, plopping down beside Menma and Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes shifted to the blonde boy next to him. Naruto, the younger brother of Menma, was the complete opposite of him. While Menma resembled their mother, Naruto was the spitting image of their father—blonde hair, tanned skin, and those striking blue eyes that always seemed to shine with an energy Sasuke envied. He too had the same whiskers like his brother. Despite his obvious lack of interest in the academy, Naruto was somehow always in a good mood.

"So, are we training later?" Naruto asked, his voice carrying a carefree tone that seemed to make even the dullest moments feel less unbearable.

Menma glanced at his little brother with a mix of annoyance and fondness. "Hey, keep it down a little," he warned, his sharp gaze flicking to Iruka, who was looking in their direction. "And yeah, sure, sounds good."

Sasuke shook his head. "No can do. I've got that thing with Itachi. Remember?"

Menma raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you're leaving today? It's the middle of the week."

Sasuke nodded, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. Apparently, Itachi wants to make up for last weekend. Not that it matters. I'm not gonna miss anything here."

Menma sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Remind me again why we didn't become shinobi when we had the chance?"

While the academy did offer to graduate Sasuke early, they also offered Menma and Naruto, saying the three would make a great team.

Sasuke slouched further into his seat, frustration coloring his voice. "Because our moms said no. Plus, we're young. Once we become shinobi, our freedom gets limited. I hate to admit it, but it's not like we have much time to ourselves anymore."

Menma smiled knowingly. "Right. You're just being impatient."

"Yeah, well..." Sasuke muttered under his breath. "This is boring."

It was later that day, and Sasuke stood by the door of their home, staring at his older brother, Itachi, who was already geared up, adjusting his sandals. Sasuke couldn't help but admire Itachi's calm, composed demeanor. Itachi had always been the epitome of control, someone who radiated maturity and competence.

"Ready, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, his voice calm and even.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied with a nod, grabbing his bag from the entryway. Behind him, their mother stood in the hallway, her expression laced with concern.

"Have a nice time, okay, guys? And stay safe," she urged them, her voice soft but heavy with worry.

"We will, Mom," Itachi responded, his usual reassuring smile on his face. Sasuke merely nodded, but his eyes lingered on his mother for a moment longer, knowing he will miss her this next few days.

They left their house and made their way to the forest, which was nearby since the Uchiha compound was at the edge of the village.

The site was already set up when they arrived, and Sasuke saw a familiar figure standing by one of the tents. Shisui greeted them with a smile that carried a hint of mischief.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Shisui said with a teasing grin.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Mom made spicy curry, and I had to take a shit."

Itachi shot his younger brother a reproving look. "Watch your language, Sasuke."

Sasuke smirked, unbothered by his brother's mild scolding, and dropped his bag inside one of the tents. He turned to see Itachi and Shisui putting on hunting gear—leather armor.

Itach approach him when he was done. He held out a chest guard Sasuke's size. "C'mon, it will be not long until nightfall."

"Where are we going big brother?" Sasuke asked as Itachi put on and tighten the chest guard on Sasuke.

"Well, Sasuke --" He picked up a arm guard for Sasuke's left arm. "-- we have no food, so we're gonna catch some. And even make a game out of it." He finished putting on the arm guard. He then handed Sasuke a three fingered glove for his right hand. "Put this on."

Itachi then gave his little brother a quiver filled arrows, a red bow and a scroll. Once done Shisui spoke up, his voice firm yet playful. "The rules are simple. The one who kills and collects the most game wins. No helping one another. Time ends at sunset. And remember, there are snakes. Big ones. So watch yourself, Sasuke." He added the last part with a teasing smile, but his eyes held a certain seriousness that sent a small shiver down Sasuke's spine.

"You still remember that sealing jutsu, don't you Sasuke?" Itachi asked.

"Of course I do. Why?"

"After every kill, seal it into that scroll I gave you." Itachi explained, and Sasuke nodded.

Shisui then started the count down."Okay. Start in three, two, one.....go!"

And just like that the two older males disappeared in a flicker. Sasuke sighed. "Ah, fuck me."

The hours dragged on. It had been nearly three hours since they'd started, and Sasuke had hunted down more than a decent amount of game. He was currently in giant snake territory, which anyone could tell when giant snakes are coming at you in all directions. It was safe to say he was lost.

Again he cut the head off a snake. He was getting sick of this shit, and it was getting late. The sun was already setting.

Taking a break, he sat on a branch. He could hear the snakes beneath him, but since he was pretty high up, it would take a while till they reached him.

Listening to a stream nearby, he felt so at peace. The wet wood, he didn't know why but he liked that earthy smell. Sitting there he let his thoughts take over. What was he thinking about? Everything and nothing all at once.

The peaceful silence was broken by a hiss. Opening his eyes, he turned to see not one of the massive serpents he was familiar with, but rather a smaller, more unusual sight—a white snake. Its eyes gleamed with an unnatural purple hue tinged with gold, hypnotic and piercing. For reasons Sasuke couldn't explain, his heart raced. He felt drawn to it, as though some unspoken bond had been forged between them in an instant.

Without thinking, Sasuke slowly extended his hand, his fingers almost trembling as they reached toward the snake. As his palm approached, the snake—surprisingly gentle—pressed the top of its head against Sasuke's hand, a soft, almost affectionate gesture. It slithered up his arm, moving as if guided by an invisible force, its eyes locked with his. In that brief moment, it felt as though time had stopped. The world fell away, leaving only the two of them, connected by something deeper than words.

Then, just as quickly as the warmth had flooded Sasuke's chest, a sudden coldness swept over him. The snake's eyes shifted, turning dark and malicious, filled with a dangerous hunger. Before he could react, the snake lashed out, it's head and body snapped upwards and came down hard as it sinked his fangs down on the left side of the back of his neck.

Pain exploded through Sasuke's body, sharp and unrelenting. His hands shot up, grabbing the snake and ripping it off in a desperate, panicked motion. Blood welled at his neck, dripping down as he staggered backward, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

He placed a hand on his neck to see that there was blood, so he decided to keep his hand there in case it bled too much. The snake, now writhing in agony, twisted in a frenzied panic. The creature's movements grew erratic, its body shaking uncontrollably, until it finally fell still—its life force drained away.

Approaching the snake, he carefully moved it so that he could see its face. Upon looking, Sasuke look straight into its eyes, its once hypnotic gaze replaced with an empty, soulless stare.

Sighing Sasuke looked to the sky seeing it was already nightfall. Shit. Itachi was not gonna be happy about this. So he set off to look for the campsite, all the while holding his neck tightly.

Unbeknownst to him, under his hand a strange mark was forming where he had been bitten.