A Bond

After the initial excitement passed, Yu found himself facing reality. He was only an eight-year-old child now. What was he supposed to do next?

"Leave Konoha."

He dismissed the idea right away. He had wanted to leave Konoha because he had nowhere else to go, but now he had escaped certain death. Konoha probably wouldn't make things difficult for him, and trying to flee the village might only cause trouble.

Besides, Konoha was the strongest village in the entire Shinobi World, and it offered the best conditions. It was an excellent place to grow stronger.

Most importantly, the story of Naruto began in Konoha. If he left, he'd be completely in the dark about how the world of Naruto would develop. He'd lose one of the greatest advantages he had as someone who'd come from another world.

So he decided to stay in Konoha. At least until he gained some strength, he wouldn't leave. Konoha was a good place to grow.

But where could he go right now?

He didn't even have a place to stay, and he couldn't find a single coin on him. His stomach was growling, too.

"Go back to the Uchiha compound?"

That seemed to be his only option. Konoha certainly wouldn't arrange a place for him, especially since Sasuke in the anime had lived alone at the Uchiha compound.

But Yu had always lived in the Uchiha clan's orphanage, where the clan had provided him with food, clothing, and everything else. He didn't have a house of his own. Besides, the entire Uchiha clan was gone now.

"Damn it..."

Yu angrily kicked a stone. It skipped beautifully across the water. Whether in his previous life or this one, he'd had to deal with the pressure of making a living at a young age. It was seriously messed up.

"I finally found you."

A voice suddenly came from behind Yu, startling him.

He turned around and saw someone he recognized.

Sasuke Uchiha stood behind him, his face expressionless, his eyes fixed on Yu.

"Why are you here?"

Yu was surprised that Sasuke had found him.

But Sasuke didn't answer. He simply stepped forward and took Yu by the hand.

"Come with me."

Sasuke said it plainly.

Yu was confused, but he didn't resist. He let Sasuke lead him along.

Did Sasuke come here specifically to find me? Yu wondered.

The two boys walked hand in hand along the streets of Konoha, one behind the other. The people around them noticed them.

But when they saw the Uchiha crest on Sasuke's clothes, they instinctively moved out of their way.

"The Uchiha were wiped out. Only two children are left."

That was what most people knew. They weren't avoiding Yu and Sasuke because they were coldhearted. They simply didn't know how to face them.

Neither of them spoke. Before long, Yu caught up with Sasuke and walked beside him.

Looking at the protagonist of the Naruto anime, Yu felt something he couldn't quite put into words. The two of them had faced life and death together the previous night.

But they were still strangers.

According to the memories he'd inherited, he and Sasuke had often seen each other, but they'd never greeted or spoken to one another. They hadn't even been in the same class at the Ninja Academy, so they'd had no reason to interact.

Yu couldn't think of anything to say.

They were heading toward the Uchiha compound.

The Uchiha Clan Massacre didn't affect Yu all that much. Although he had all the memories of this body, his main consciousness was still Yu, who had come from another world. He couldn't truly share those feelings.

Sasuke was different. The Uchiha were his family. The people who had died were his parents and relatives. And the person responsible for it all was the older brother he loved most. The pressure Sasuke was under was unimaginable. Unless someone had experienced it themselves, they couldn't claim to understand.

Gradually, there were fewer people around. After they passed through a road in the woods, the Uchiha compound came into view.

Unlike before, the Uchiha compound was eerily quiet today. Even from a distance, it felt cold and desolate.

Sasuke slowed down. His eyes were fixed on the "home" in the distance. Last night's memories surfaced again, as vivid as if they'd just happened.

Itachi's Tsukuyomi had etched everything deeply into Sasuke's mind, making him experience the pain all the more intensely and bringing his hatred to its peak.

Sasuke showed no sadness, only boundless hatred. Under the strain of his extreme emotions, his Sharingan activated on its own. Three tomoe slowly revolved in his black eyes, revealing the powerful strength of the Uchiha.

But this greatest power of the Uchiha only gave off an overwhelming sense of darkness and despair.

Yu naturally noticed that something was wrong with Sasuke. To be honest, he'd once dreamed of having a pair of Sharingan himself. But facing them directly in real life made him feel uneasy and miserable. He couldn't stop wanting to back away.

"Sa... Brother Sasuke!"

Yu had been about to call him by name, but then he remembered what had happened the previous night. He had survived because he'd called Sasuke "Brother," so he had to hold on to that "Brother Sasuke."

Yu's words brought Sasuke back from his hatred. A trace of tenderness appeared in his hate-filled eyes.

Sasuke would never forget how Yu had risked his life to save him the previous night.

Yu's actions had brought a glimmer of light into Sasuke's hate-filled heart. In the original story, Naruto's bond with Sasuke had been what allowed Sasuke to momentarily forget his hatred. But Yu's arrival had changed the original story. Now, alongside his hatred, Sasuke felt a tenderness toward his "younger brother."

Yu had no idea he'd become the third member of the best duo in the Naruto anime, stealing Naruto's role.

"I'll protect you."

Sasuke said it to Yu, and he meant it.

"Yeah...!"

To be honest, Yu was thrilled to hear that. Sasuke was the protagonist, after all! The protagonist had just promised to protect him, offering him a powerful ally on a silver platter. Naturally, he had to cling to him.

"Thank you... Brother Sasuke!"

Yu said shyly.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke let go of his hand, walked around to face Yu, and held out his own.

"Yu Uchiha."

Yu replied, holding out his hand to meet Sasuke's.

Their small hands clasped together. Only then did they truly get to know each other.

"There are only two of us left in the Uchiha clan," Sasuke said, looking toward the compound.

The Uchiha Clan Massacre had still happened, but Sasuke, who'd originally been left all alone, now had a companion.

Perhaps the power of bonds could be stronger than hatred.