January 23, 12 years after Naruto's Birth. Coincidentally, it was also a certain Aburame Shino's birthday today.
Suguru hadn't felt that anything had changed when he woke up. Obviously. He wasn't a psychic.
However, upon leaving his house, he saw someone waiting for him.
Suguru's eyes widened.
Dull brown eyes and the same dull brown hair. With sharp features and a serious expression, Suguru recalled the name from the depths of his memories.
The person waiting for him was supposed to be dead.
"..." Suguru couldn't help but stare in disbelief.
Uchiha Tatsuya.
A classmate in the past. Someone Suguru expected to have lost his life in the Uchiha Massacre. A genius who had awoken his Sharingan at a very young age.
One of the many Uchiha children Suguru had somehow influenced with his Kaisugan's pull.
What was he doing, walking around in broad daylight? Weren't the undead supposed to burn under the sun? Moreover, didn't Itachi massacre his entire clan? Wasn't Sasuke the only survivor?
Who was this spirit standing before him?
For a moment, Suguru was beyond even a gasp. However, he regained his bearings before he stared for too long.
"Seeing as you've come to me in particular, there must be something you want."
Suguru's words were like an arrow that flew true, heading straight for Tatsuya's ulterior motives.
"I..." Tatsuya was speechless for a moment.
He did not expect Suguru to be the first to speak. He was convinced of the fact that Suguru would have stared at him until he spoke. And even then, he would still have continued staring.
"I need your help,"
Tatsuya's eyes drifted to the green vest that Suguru wore. In his four years of absence, the seatmate he had in class before had already become a chuunin. It was crazy to think about.
Although he had also grown stronger, unlocking the second tomoe of his Sharingan, Tatsuya instinctively felt his old classmate was hiding so much more.
"I need to meet with Lord Hokage,"
Hearing those words, Suguru nodded with a solemn expression. It seemed like Tatsuya hadn't lived a good life while hiding. The words he said were simple, yet held many implications.
If Suguru accepted, he would become an accomplice of the Uchiha. If there were more Uchiha survivors, then there was a chance that Konoha would have to take several measures.
Suguru fell into thought.
Well...
He tried to.
However, his desires swiftly overwhelmed all logic. He had a feeling that helping Tatsuya now would be a surefire way to cook some Chaos Stew.
Thus, he spoke without any hesitation.
"Sure. Let's head there this instant."
***
Suguru walked forward while Tatsuya carefully followed behind him. The latter was like a frightened mouse, constantly on edge and ready to flee at a moment's notice.
It was a pitiful sight, yet a necessary one seeing that he had somehow survived.
Suguru walked at a steady, unbothered pace. His eyes flitted from face to face, discerning potential threats should they approach. In his mind, he was making his calculations.
'The biggest threat to Tatsuya's existence at the moment is Danzo. Itachi's presence guarantees only Sasuke's safety.'
None of the other Uchiha would be a part of that.
Therefore, Suguru's wariness was higher than when his own life was threatened. After all, he was an escape artist trained by a jounin-level beast. Unless an S-rank threat arrived, then Suguru could guarantee his life.
Unfortunately, he could guarantee only his own. Although he had experience helping Isao and Yumiko escape from Kuromaru, it was different for Tatsuya.
Tatsuya had never experienced Kuromaru's relentless, unending pursuit. He wouldn't be able to exploit the openings that Suguru would sacrifice himself for.
Thus, Suguru's nerves were reasonably tense.
'I also need to consider how Tatsuya entered Konoha. Was it because he was a resident in the past? He also can't be considered a rogue ninja since he never graduated from the Academy...'
Suddenly, Suguru felt a certain pull. It was a familiar one. It was an event he experienced many times a day.
'Hiruzen activated his Telescope Technique,'
Just as Suguru had those thoughts, he felt a gaze fall upon him. It was similar to the feeling of a chakra field locating his presence.
It was a minute and subtle influence on his chakra. If not for Suguru learning how to hack chakra fields, then he wouldn't be keen enough to recognize this change.
'It seems like Hiruzen already knows,' Suguru stifled a laugh. He was currently under surveillance, therefore necessitating a façade.
Suguru's nerves eased ever so slightly. Unfortunately, despite him doing so, Suguru felt a sharp sting appear in his perception.
Suguru's muscles tensed and Tatsuya's eyes widened. Intense bloodlust blanketed the two, aiming to scare them into freezing up.
However, Suguru quickly spun and rushed behind his old classmate.
—Cling, clang!
Two sharp, metallic sounds accompanied two sparks of light. Suguru, whose kunai had deflected the nigh-invisible shuriken, clicked his tongue.
The shuriken had flown at a much faster speed than what typical shinobi were capable of.
'Jounin-level. Likely an Anbu or someone from Root,' Suguru began his analysis.
Two other chakra fields enveloped him just then.
'Three squads of unknown affiliation other than the fact that they're from Konoha. However, they're moving with seemingly murderous intent.'
Instantly, Suguru discerned the nature of this encounter.
'A test,' He thought.
"Tatsuya, I need you to run to the Hokage's office as fast as you can," Suguru spoke, and his eyes assumed a tranquil state. "Lord Hokage will guarantee your safety once you enter. But before you can do so, we need to survive this moment of internal conflict."
"Wha—" Tatsuya was about to speak when a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
A single-edged tanto was heading straight for his throat. Behind the blade was its masked wielder.
—Clang!
Fortunately, there was someone as swift as his attacker. Suguru had somehow matched the speed of the masked shinobi, drawing a kunai to parry.
'Anbu!' Tatsuya thought, 'But I thought Hokage-sama was going to protect me!'
The Uchiha glanced at Suguru.
"Trust me and run!" Suguru's hiss held a ruthless coldness to it, forcing Tatsuya's hesitation out of his mind.
Deciding to trust his former seatmate, Tatsuya built up his chakra. Then, he made a hand seal and flickered to escape.
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