Just Smile: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 23: Belief

Naruto and Sasuke stood outside of Tazuna's house, Sakura, Sai, and Tazuna remained inside because Naruto had requested privacy, and after the strength he displayed, who were they to deny it? 

"Ask away, Sasuke," Naruto said as he put his hands in his pockets, his face serious for once as he met Sasuke's glare with a ready look. 

"Why do you have the Sharingan?!" Was his first question. Naruto shrugged.

"I was born with it. I activated it when my parents died in the Kyuubi Attack along with these," Two chains sprouted at the bottom of his back as the golden chains slowly set themselves down on the ground. 

Sasuke was silent for a moment before he gathered the courage to ask another question. "Did you know my brother, Itachi?" Naruto's serious face suddenly changed to one of sadness. 

"Yes." He whispered. 

Blood. Blood. Itachi's blood. Dripping off of his hands. Sasuke disappeared and Itachi was standing in front of him, blood seeping out of his mouth, a giant hole in his chests, his Mangekyou Sharingan blazing into his eyes. 

"How did my brother die?" 

"I killed him," Naruto responded. Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked at his sensei, taking a step back. This man had killed his older brother? "He was my best friend. He wanted to be killed by me, I think, he deactivated his jutsu just in time for me to pierce him with my Raikiri." 

"Does that mean. . ." Sasuke trailed off. Naruto nodded. 

"Yes, Itachi was my little brother of sorts. We graduated from the academy at the same time and went to the Chunin Exams together, when he died, I gained the Mangekyou Sharingan. It's a cursed power. Sasuke, your family was my family when my parents died, when Itachi died, he made me promise to protect you, and I've done just that." 

"Protect me?!" Sasuke asked in a voice that was in a rage. "You protected me?! You didn't do shit for me! I didn't even know you existed until you became my sensei!"

"The village needs to the Sharingan, Sasuke, I am not an Uchiha on paper. Most people don't even know I possess these eyes of mine. You would've been put under the CRA as soon as you turned into a ninja if it wasn't for me." 

"The CRA? What is that?" Naruto sighed. 

"An old law created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju to stop those clans with Kekkei Genkai from going extinct, meaning the last remaining members would soon be bred to make more offspring so the village would stay in power." Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. 

"But that's so morbid!" Naruto nodded.

"Hence why I forbid them from doing so." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean forbid them?" 

Flashback

"When Sasuke Uchiha comes of age he must be put under the Clan Restoration Act! The Uchiha were valuable assets to the village and cannot be lost!" One of the civilian council members said, pounding their fist onto the table. 

"I agree, Hokage-sama," Koharu, an elder of the village and a retired ninja, said. "The Sharingan is too useful to lose." 

"Sorry, I'm late!" A sixteen-year-old Naruto shouted as he burst into the council room, carrying several different books and such, obviously rushing from the library. "The old goat wouldn't let me leave without checking all these out!" He sat down at his seat.