Never Again: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 43: Plummet

"Kakashi-sensei!' The words left his mouth before he could even think about his situation. What was this? His words stirred the young Hatake awake as he let out a groan. Wait, young? 

Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt as if the oxygen had been sucked out of his lungs. He took a single step back, his hands trembling as his Sharingan reverted back to their original onyx black. Why did Kakashi look like he was a teenager too? Why was he covered in that distorted white that looked vaguely familiar? 

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?!?!?!!" Sasuke couldn't help but scream, his voice cracking as his words rippled throughout the abandoned cave, echoing as the Uchiha began to hypervenilate. This wasn't right. None of this was right. 

Kakashi was dead. He saw him die. And yet, here he was alive and breathing. Shorter, younger, why? 

"If you don't quiet down," A dark, gravelly voice spoke out. Sasuke turned his head and saw two crimson Sharingan eyes staring at him from the dark. "I shall render you unconscious." An elderly Madara erupted from the shadows, his starch white hair crawling down his back and past his hips, his posture crooked and slouched over as he used a cane to support his weight. 

Yet those eyes held all the power in the world. 

"Tch," Sasuke's nostrils flared as anger began to replace his anxiety. "Madara. . ." The younger Uchiha growled, his Mangekyou flaring wildly. Madara's eyes widened by a fraction, not expecting this sudden development. 

"I see, so you're privy as to whom I truly am. Then allow me to ask you  a question," Madara's own Sharingan morphed, transforming into the three connected, circular centerless-tomoe. He raised his cane and pointed it in Sasuke's direction. "I know of every Uchiha in existence. Yet, who are you?"

"Like I'd tell you, bastard!" Sasuke bit out as he summoned chakra to his eyes. "Amatersau!" Black flames erupted from Sasuke's left Mangekyou as they shot towards Madara, who merely felt a twitch in his lips, tugging ever upward. 

The Amaterasu flames reached their target, and Sasuke felt triumph for a fraction of a second, before it was shattered as his flames seemed to freeze in place. "My my," Sasuke heard Madara speak in an impressed tone. "Are these the famed flames of Amaterasu? I've only heard of its legend from the Uchiha Tablets, but to see it in person, I must say it's quite the treat." 

Madara moved the flames with an outstretched arm, the black flames being just centimeters away from his middle finger. Moving his arm to the side, the flames followed and revealed Madara's smirk as he looked at Sasuke's shocked gaze.

"What's wrong? You seem surprised that I was able to control these flames so easily, it's only natural after all," His Sharingan seemed to glow brighter as Sasuke suddenly felt small, as if the runt of the pack was being taught it's place by the alpha. "My Sharingan is far superior to yours."

Madara's eyes traveled to Kakashi's still form, the Hatake still unconscious and recovering. Madara shifted his hands, his fingers curling and moving freely as if he were controlling a puppet with strings. Sasuke watched in a mix of amazement and horror as his Amaterasu flames began to move, slowly shifting like a snake as they slithered towards Kakashi's sleeping form. 

"For some reason, you know of the son of the White Fang. I was originally going to use him to continue my plans after his death, his potential is quite extraordinary. I had hoped to grab that Uchiha boy instead, but it seems my plans were foiled." His eyes shot wickedly towards Sasuke who was staring at the black flames that hovered just inches over Kakashi.