Earth land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
June, x787.
After arriving at the residence he shared with Elicia, Ikaruga, and Irene, Alfonzo immediately went into the kitchen to make breakfast. Meanwhile, Kakashi sat down in the living room and chatted with Elicia and Irene while Ikaruga served them all a cup of tea.
Not long later, Alfonzo, with breakfast for everyone floating behind him, left the kitchen. Then, everyone made their way to the dining room to have breakfast. During breakfast, Alfonzo could tell that Elicia wanted to hear his version of what happened last night. However, with Kakashi there, she held back on asking.
On a side note, Elicia had already grilled Irene about the events from last night. So, she did know what happened after Danzo left the village. However, she had no idea what Alfonzo did before that.
Eventually breakfast ended. Then, Alfonzo and Kakashi left so that Alfonzo could continue working on the training grounds. At the same time, Elicia started working on the Fall Collection for the Taylor Shop with Ikaruga and Irene keeping her company and making sure she did not overdo it while she was pregnant.
Like that, the day passed peacefully. Around mid-afternoon, Alfonzo returned to the residence. Then, after another hour or so, Naruto, Sasuke, and the others arrived. And as soon as they did, Sasuke approached Alfonzo, confusing the other kids.
"Can you show me what you were talking about this morning, now?" Sasuke asked bluntly.
"Sure, come with me." Alfonzo replied with a nod.
While Naruto and the other kids were thoroughly confused and a few of them wanted to follow Alfonzo and Sasuke, they were eventually dragged into the backyard by Ikaruga to start their training.
Meanwhile, Alfonzo brought Sasuke to the spare bedroom he was using as a workshop while in the village. Then, after having Sasuke sit down, he started speaking.
"Alright, Sasuke, what I'm about to show you is probably gonna piss you way the hell off." Alfonzo said, prefacing his next statement. "But I need you to stay calm. And when you feel yourself getting angry and sad, try your best to channel those emotions into your eyes."
Hearing that, Sasuke frowned in confusion. However, he did not speak, waiting for Alfonzo to continue.
"I'm sure you saw all the wanted posters yesterday, right?" Alfonzo asked.
In response, Sasuke nodded his head.
"Well, the Hokage asked me to be the one to bring in the fugitive, Danzo Shimura." Alfonzo continued.
"What was that about, anyway?" Sasuke asked, curiosity brimming in his tone.
"I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you that." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "The Hokage asked me to keep it secret."
Though he was unsatisfied, Sasuke nodded in understanding.
"Anyway, while tracking him down, I found his hideout." Alfonzo said, continuing his story. "And while I was searching the place, I found these."
As he reached that point, Alfonzo walked over to the makeshift workbench in the room and picked up the bag Irene gave him. Then, he started pulling out glass bottles. And each bottle contained either one or a pair of Sharingan.
Seeing all the Sharingan, Sasuke first opened his eyes wide in shock. Then his eyes narrowed, his fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth in anger.
"What is the meaning of this?" Sasuke asked, barely holding back the rage he was feeling.
"*Sigh* I heard about the Uchiha massacre, so I know why you want to be strong so badly." Alfonzo said, not answering Sasuke's question directly. Then, when he saw that Sasuke was close to losing control, he continued with what Sasuke wanted to know. "After that tragedy happened, Danzo, with is organization called "Root, swept in before the Anbu could arrive and took as many Sharingan as they could from your deceased clansmen."
With that, Alfonzo could hear the sound of Sasuke's teeth grinding together.
"Control it Sasuke." Alfonzo said, knowing that Sasuke was about to lose control. "If you want your revenge, you'll never be able to get it if you fly off the handle. To fight someone as strong as your brother, you'll need to be in control. Otherwise, he'll just pick you apart."
Hearing Alfonzo's reminder, Sasuke closed his eyes. Then, using all his anger and sadness, he circulated his magic power before sending it to his eyes. And although he could feel pain from the influx of magic power in his eyes, he continued to do so. Eventually, he could feel something warm flowing down his cheeks.
Seeing the blood flowing down Sasuke's face from his eyes, Alfonzo knew that Sasuke had taken his advice. So, until the process finished and Sasuke calmed down, the only thing he could do is watch things play out.
Eventually, Sasuke's magic power flow returned to normal. Then, he slowly opened his eyes. And when he did, replacing his normally black irises were a pair of red ones, each with two tomoe surrounding the pupils.
"congratulations." Alfonzo said as he conjured a polished piece of silver. "You've awakened your Sharingan. And it looks like their more than just the basic pair right off the break."
Hearing that, Sasuke snapped back to his senses. Then, he wiped the blood off his face before he looked at Alfonzo. However, instead of seeing Alfonzo's face, he saw his reflection, as Alfonzo made the piece of silver float in front of him. And when Sasuke saw his Sharingan, he could not help but stare in wonder.
"I finally awakened it…" Sasuke muttered in disbelief. Then, he clenched his fists once again. "I'm a step closer to getting my revenge."
"Yeah, but remember, you can't lose yourself to your anger and grief." Alfonzo said, drawing Sasuke's attention back onto himself. "You have to keep a cool head at all times."
In response, Sasuke lowered his head. Honestly, he did not know if he would be able to keep that promise. Every time he thought about his brother and what he did to the rest of his clan, he was overwhelmed by his negative emotions.
Seeing the way Sasuke reacted to his advice, Alfonzo took a step forward. Then, he raised a hand before resting it on top of the young shinobi's head.
"Look, I know what it's like to have everything taken away from you, Sasuke." Alfonzo said in a soothing tone. "Both Lici and I had our parents killed when we were five. And there was nothing we could do about it. So, I get what you're going through."
Sasuke once again looked up at Alfonzo when he heard his words.
"And until only a few years ago, we longed for revenge, just like you." Alfonzo continued.
"Until a few years ago?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah, we managed to get that revenge." Alfonzo replied with a nod.
'We weren't the ones who killed the ones that killed our parents, though. Alfonzo thought to himself. 'But he doesn't need to know that.'
"But the one thing we did not do was let the thoughts of revenge consume us." Alfonzo replied. "Instead, we used them to push ourselves forward."
"But you and Elicia had each other." Sasuke said as he lowered his head again. "But me… I'm all alone."
Hearing that, Alfonzo forcefully ruffled Sasuke's hair, making the young shinobi struggle to remove his hand.
"*Sigh* for such a smart kid, why are you so dumb?" Alfonzo asked as he removed his hand from Sasuke's head.
Hearing that, Sasuke frowned. Before he could argue, however, Alfonzo continued speaking.
"You have a group of friends that would be willing to help you, if you'd let them." Alfonzo continued. "Hell, one of them, who has always been treated like an outcast, would probably be willing to go to hell and back for you if you'd give him a chance to be your friend."
Those words caused Sasuke to see an image of eight young people that he was familiar with in his head. And the one standing in the center of the group was a boy with spiky blond hair and blue eyes.
"Look, I'm not telling you to give up your revenge." Alfonzo continued. "Hell, I really don't have the right to. I mean, I've gone after and taken revenge more than a few times in my life. All I'm saying is, just don't let revenge be the only thing you live for. And opening up to friends makes that a lot easier. It makes this journey we call life a whole lot more interesting, too. Plus, they'll be able to push you forward with your training. A good rival can do that, you know."
To Alfonzo's surprise, Sasuke actually seemed to be contemplating his advice. In the canon, Sasuke never even stopped to listen when the other characters tried to tell him the same thing.
'I guess it's because I went through something similar, if not exactly the same.' Alfonzo mused. 'So, it doesn't sound like people just trying to tell him how to live his life.'
["It probably helps that you didn't try to get him to give up on his revenge, either."] Bedlam added.
'Maybe.' Alfonzo replied internally.
"I'll consider it." Sasuke said, breaking Alfonzo out of his thoughts. "Anyway, I need to get to the training. I still need to get stronger. But having a few rivals to push me forward might not be so bad."
With that, Sasuke turned around intending to leave and train with the others. Meanwhile, Alfonzo smiled at Sasuke's response. Then, just as Sasuke started walking, Alfonzo spoke once again.
"So, you plan to leave without these?" Alfonzo asked as he gestured towards the Sharingan on the workbench.
*Bang!*
In response, Sasuke tripped over his own feet before falling to the floor, face first. After hearing Alfonzo speak about living for something other than revenge, Sasuke had completely forgotten about his clansmen's eyes.
"I'll come back to get them after training." Sasuke said, his cheeks dusted in a pink hue do to embarrassment.
"Sure." Alfonzo replied with a chuckle. "Tell you what. When you leave, I'll come with you. I'm sure there are more than a few people who would like to get their hands on these. So, I'll set up a barrier at your house so you can store them without worry."
When Sasuke heard Alfonzo chuckle, his blush deepened. However, he also scowled harder than usual. But when he heard Alfonzo's suggestion, he nodded his head quickly. Then, he scrambled to his feet and ran out of the room without another word. However, his blush deepened even further when he heard Alfonzo start laughing at him.
Not long later, after putting away all the Sharingan he showed to Sasuke, Alfonzo stepped back into the living room. And when he did, he found Elicia chattering animatedly while Irene listened with a smile on her face and a glass of wine in her hand.
"Hey ladies, whatcha talking about?" Alfonzo asked as he took a seat next to Elicia.
"Oh, we were talking about the baby's sex." Elicia replied happily as she snuggled into Alfonzo's side. "Like, what we would do if it was a boy or a girl. And how raising boys and girls is different. And…"
Like that, Elicia continued to chatter excitedly, not letting Alfonzo get a word in. Meanwhile, Alfonzo could only glance at Irene awkwardly. In response, Irene only raised her glass in Alfonzo's direction, having just went through what Alfonzo was going through now.
"By the way, what you said to Sasuke was really sweet, Fonzie." Elicia said as she finally ran out of things to say.
"Yes, it really was." Irene added with a nod. "I guess you'll be a fairly good father."
"Well, I'm damn sure gonna try." Alfonzo replied. "I even have a few examples of what not to be if we have a girl."
Hearing that, Elicia and Irene could not help but giggle.
"Yeah, you better not end up like Gildarts or Gozaburo." Elicia said as she started shaking her fist in Alfonzo's direction. "If you do, I'm taking the baby and leaving until you get your stuff together or the baby grows up, whichever happens first."
"Oh, so you would come back?" Irene asked in a curious tone.
"*Sigh* The truth is, I probably wouldn't even be able to leave." Elicia replied while lowering her head. "I can't imagine not being with Fonzie."
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Irene replied. "Besides, with his cooking, something tells me that any girl he has will put up with him just because of that."
"I'm actually concerned with that, too." Elicia said as she placed the back of her left hand on her forehead. "I mean, with Fonzie's cooking, we might never be able to get any of the kids to leave."
That caused both Alfonzo and Irene to burst into laughter. A moment later, Elicia dropped her woe is me act and joined them.
"But in all seriousness." Alfonzo said after getting his laughter in control. "I have no idea of running off all the boys that are interested in any daughters I have in the future. But I will be teaching my girls everything I know about men and how they think. That way, no man will be able to trick them."
In the next instant, Alfonzo's aura grew slightly dark.
"And if there are any punks out there with the balls to hurt any of my little girls, well… They won't have them for very long." Alfonzo said in a cold tone.
"I'm actually more concerned with what the girls will do to any boy with that much audacity." Irene said, completely unfazed by Alfonzo's aura. "I mean, I know you'll do what you promise, but they all have much meaner streaks than you. And I get the feeling they'll make them think castration is a much better punishment."
"Oh, you better believe it." Elicia replied, her aura even darker than Alfonzo's.
With that, the trio continued to chat. Eventually, Alfonzo got up to prepare dinner. And when Ikaruga's training ended, he invited all the kids to join them. Then, after dinner was over, Alfonzo accompanied Sasuke back to the Uchiha compound and set up the barrier for all the recovered Sharingan before heading back home to tell Elicia his version of what happened the night before.