Regrets, Sasuke had more of those than anyone his age should ever have.
At the top of that list was the fact that he didn't know about his clan's plans when he was little. If he had known, maybe he could have done something about it. Even Itachi, in his final moments, believed that Sasuke could have made a difference, and that only served to aggravate the pain he felt.
As if that weren't enough, there was the repressed memory with Itachi on that fateful night, something that could have helped him see the truth about what really happened. Not only that, but there was also the awakening of his Sharingan at the age of seven, which ended up being suppressed as well, limiting his growth even more than the academy had done for the next five years.
Another regret that was perhaps inevitable because of circumstances that transcended life and death would be the bonds Sasuke created with Naruto, something that would haunt him for the rest of his life...
Then there were other events and decisions that changed everything over the years.
While Sasuke did not regret leaving Konoha, especially now that he knew the truth, taking so long to get rid of Orochimaru was definitely on the list.
Many people died because of his weakness, including that girl who loved to sing...
After that, there was his fight and Itachi's death;
His decision to join Akatsuki.
The way he went mad with the awakening of the Mangekyou Sharingan...
Again, there were so many things in such a short life that Sasuke didn't even like to think about, because it only made him realize the kind of hell he was forced to go through.
Recently, he regretted his decision to join Beacon. It was certainly for the greater good and to obtain information from a foreign world where his revolutionary ideals had failed. With that, Sasuke hoped to prevent himself from making the same mistakes and regretting another big decision.
This time, not only was his mind in the right place, but he also had time to think and plan.
After convincing/threatening Junior to get him enrolled in Beacon, which he claimed to be impossible because it was too last-minute, Sasuke spent the night analyzing with his Rinnegan to verify his initial theory about the difference in time flow between Remnant and the Elemental Nations.
Sasuke was correct.
Time flowed faster in Remnant, much faster; hundreds of times faster.
That was good.
One minute in the Elemental Nations was equivalent to hours in Remnant.
Knowing how persistent and stubborn Naruto was, Sasuke was sure that his only friend could hold Kaguya for at least a few hours, equivalent to more than a month for him. However, Naruto tended to exceed expectations in every sense of the word, so Sasuke had no doubt that he could even last half a day, equivalent to half a year.
Although Sasuke's skepticism prevented him from letting his guard down, with so much time available, he would gain enough power to deal with that goddess once and for all.
Then he would do the same with Naruto.
That aside, when Sasuke returned to the nightclub the next morning, or what was left of it, he discovered that he needed to take photos for his new documents. He should have guessed that something like that would be necessary, as it was the same back in his world.
Although reluctant, Sasuke eventually gave in and revealed his face.
No matter how many times it happened, he could never get used to the way people reacted when they saw his appearance, ranging from shock, envy, admiration, and desire.
At least, Sasuke would admit that something different happened when he was invited to join a pair of twins in bed.
Once again, he was reminded of how assertive the women of this world were.
Later, Sasuke discovered the reason why Junior was complaining so much about the near impossibility of getting him into Beacon. The initiation, in fact, would begin two days after his arrival in this world. What the book seller didn't know, however, was about the need to show up at the school the day before at dusk.
In other words, everything had to be done on this very day.
Sasuke immediately visited the weapon shop, hoping to rush or bribe the old man into finishing his equipment faster, where, to his surprise, everything was ready. Fortunately, demand had been low in recent days, leading his order to be prioritized by the assistant who took charge and worked with admirable dedication throughout the night.
The girl even made a brooch with the Uchiha clan symbol for him to wear. Apparently, it was normal for Hunters to have a symbol like this on their uniforms.
Although grateful for the assistant's attempt to please him, Sasuke was even more grateful not to find her there. The old shop owner said she would be sad to hear of his early arrival and that she had even organized an event to promote the shop the next day, strangely coinciding with the original time agreed upon to retrieve his equipment.
Sasuke's instincts screamed danger at this information. So, without wasting any time, he gathered everything and left shortly after completing the purchase, but the feeling that something was wrong never left him.
Later, when Sasuke got his hands on his new identity, he obtained a very useful electronic tool called Scroll. Although it was something that couldn't be less like the name used, it was necessary since identifications in this world were divided into a physical copy and a digital one, whatever the latter was.
Although Junior had managed to forge his documents and application to Beacon in record time by calling in all the favors he had among the authorities of this world, he warned Sasuke that there was a very real chance he would be caught.
Understandable, especially given the circumstances. If anything, Junior had exceeded his expectations and deserved to be recognized for it.
Besides, if Sasuke were to be caught and charged with forging documents, he would simply take the place of another student and continue with his goal as if nothing had happened.
Of course, he didn't want to take on someone else's appearance, but as a last resort, Sasuke would not hesitate to do so.
With that in mind, he was now on his way to Beacon while occupying himself with trying to learn how to use this damn Scroll.
Back in Orochimaru's laboratories, there were several computers, the best in the world, according to Kabuto, but Sasuke was never interested in any of that, especially with the direct connection between those machines and the inhumane experiments being conducted.
Sasuke should have put aside his distaste and learned a little about such technological advances.
Again, it wasn't as if he could predict the future, or else Sasuke wouldn't have made so many mistakes in his short life.
One of those cheeky twins, when she wasn't wasting her time trying to seduce him, said that there was a small password based on linear patterns that was necessary to access his Scroll.
There's no way a password could be so complex... and childish. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, noticing that the speed and quantity of fruit he needed to cut to unlock the device had increased exponentially in the new level. However, it's nothing my eyes can't handle.
His Sharingan and Rinnegan weren't considered legendary abilities for nothing.
Still, Sasuke had been stuck on this for half an hour, but it was much better than the unexpected situation he had found himself in.
Embarking on this metal box was starting to get on his nerves, but not because he couldn't understand how this thing was able to fly, but because of the people he ended up meeting.
Yang had her back turned to him, wearing Ruby's red cloak, who, for some reason, was also on board and defying the age restrictions to attend Beacon.
That aside, the girls were busy reenacting the farewell they had the night before.
While Yang was imitating Sasuke, Ruby stood beside her, both hands over her mouth in a failed attempt to hide her growing smile and not laugh.
"Like I said, it doesn't matter." Yang deepened her voice and looked over her shoulder with a serious expression on her shadowed face. "It's not like we're ever going to see each other again... Pff, hahaha!"
She couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing, causing Sasuke to consider mass murder.
There were too many witnesses watching the scene to be silenced.
"All right, Yang." Ruby was jumping around her older sister, always keeping a cheerful smile on her face. "Give me back my new cloak!"
One that she didn't intend to make the same mistake and let get damaged, especially by the hands of an orange-haired pervert!
"Okay, okay. I'm done with it anyway." Yang handed the cloak back to her happy little sister, but her smile never left her lips as she looked at the target of her little satire. Tough audience, I see.
At least, that's what she believed, unable to see his face to gauge his reaction.
How does he do that? Yang couldn't understand where this shadow came from, being able to block out even daylight, especially when she believed his Semblance was that red eye. Better yet, how long is he going to keep hiding like that?
All things considered, she was sure this guy would also join Beacon as a student.
If that were really the case, there was no way in hell the academy would allow this. And even if Yang was wrong and an exception was made to please a prodigy who surpassed even Pyrrha Nikos, his secret wouldn't last forever.
At some point, someone would see his face in the dormitories when he had to share a room with his team, or his Aura reserves would be unable to maintain this camouflage indefinitely, especially during combat classes.
Either way, Yang knew it was only a matter of time before that mask came off, and she couldn't wait to see what was behind it!
She really is like Naruto. Sasuke could only curse his bad luck and karma at the way this blonde girl was looking at him, as if she were planning some stupid prank. Or luck, since Ruby is here too.
The girl whose physical maturity contradicted her mental maturity and who possessed an unknown ocular ability with traces of divinity, very similar to the Rinnegan.
As Ruby hugged her cape as if it were the most precious teddy bear in the world, Sasuke couldn't help but notice the change in her clothes, now being a less exuberant and revealing dress than the last one, mainly because it was whole, but maintaining the same black and red style. Yang's change was even more significant, wearing something completely different from what she had worn at the nightclub. Although her clothes still hugged her body in a way that accentuated her exuberant femininity, she was no longer showing her skin, covering herself with a combination of black pants and a long coat.
"So, mysterious guy." Yang decided to move a little closer and join him by the window, with Ruby following close behind. "What do you have to say about your eternal, but not so eternal, farewell?"
While it might have sounded like she was provoking him to start a fight, what she really wanted was to start a conversation and get to know the person who helped her change her perspective on how she was living her life.
Last night, Yang could hardly sleep, plagued by nightmares about what could have happened to her.
All because of her overconfidence in believing she was invincible.
Now, thanks to this guy, regardless of what happened, Yang had woken up to life and intended to take things more seriously.
"That you learned a little about decency and personal respect in less than a day," Sasuke replied as he turned his attention away from his scroll and looked her directly in the eyes. "Congratulations."
Just like back at the nightclub, the two could play this game of provocation.
Although this relationship was very reminiscent of the one Sasuke had with Naruto, he preferred to deal with it rather than be reminded of his mistake in assuming he would never see these girls again.
After all, why would a girl who was trying to become one of the protectors of this world be dressing like a woman from the streets and destroying nightclubs?
Worse still, Sasuke couldn't have imagined that the silver-eyed girl would also be attending Beacon when she wasn't old enough, let alone that he would find the two of them inside the same flying metal box.
Again, this was his bad luck and karma kicking in.
"I-it has nothing to do with you!" Yang blushed as she became defensive, refusing to admit that it was precisely because of this guy that she had changed. "And it's not like you can talk!" She took a step forward and did something that could result in her being sent flying through a window as she grabbed one of his hands. "Not when you're wearing gloves now!"
It was certainly because of the small interaction they had last night, and Yang considered it a victory.
However, this closeness, the warmth and strength present in the hands and arms of this boy who was different from all the others...
The culmination of all this was the other reason why Yang hadn't been able to sleep properly last night, resulting in memories that made her heart beat faster and her face flush as she shyly backed away.
This reaction didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke, confusing him.
If he didn't know better, Sasuke would say that Yang was starting to develop feelings for him, but that wasn't possible.
Although Sasuke had saved her from a very bad situation last night, it only happened because he defeated her in the first place.
Besides, Yang didn't even know what he looked like, so maybe it was just Sasuke's ego making him see something that wasn't there.
"Hmm." Ruby took a step forward while Yang was being less Yang than usual, gaining attention that made her look down and play with her fingers nervously. "Mr. Cool Cloak, can I ask you a question?"
The reason for this was something that wouldn't leave her mind since their brief encounter the night before, which was as memorable as her fight against that perverted criminal.
After she got home with Yang, they went through a long interrogation and even saw their father get so angry that it was scary, but then Ruby asked about her eyes and regretted doing so.
Somehow, the way her father reacted was even worse than when she was talking about Roman.
In an instant, Taiyang had gone from being an angry father to someone overcome with sadness and even fear.
The last time Ruby saw him express anything remotely similar was during her mother, Summer's, funeral almost a decade ago.
That alone made her heart ache.
Her father didn't answer the question, and Ruby didn't dare ask again.
Instead, she used the little time she had left before leaving for Beacon to research the subject on her own.
Except for a fairy tale similar to that of the Four Maidens, about Warriors of Silver Light who were blessed by a god, Ruby found nothing else.
Considering that this cool cloak had specifically asked about her eyes that day, there was a chance he knew something.
Sasuke was incredulous, not only because of his current situation, where he had to deal with a female version of Naruto, again, but because of this shy girl's attitude. He, the last survivor of the Uchiha clan, a Shinobi above the Kage level, an international criminal of Rank S, bearer of the legendary Rinnegan and Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, the reincarnation of a demigod on his way to becoming a real one, was being approached in such a manner...
"Sasuke," he decided to introduce himself formally, especially since it was irrelevant to hide his name when it was already printed on his new ID, alerting Yang and surprising Ruby. "My name is Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke."
This elicited a reaction from both girls, though it was difficult to tell which one was more surprised and strangely happy.
"Oh, you have a Mistralian name!" Ruby almost jumped with excitement, not expecting him to respond to her with his own name, and that could only mean she had a chance to make a friend! "Uchiha Sasuke sounds really cool, but what is the meaning of your name?"
An unexpected question that deeply troubled Sasuke. That was because he knew exactly what his name meant, not only in the literal sense, but also the interpretation behind it.
All of this was present in the memories Itachi had given him.
"Sasuke is a tribute to a powerful Shinobi, the father of the third Hokage himself." Mikoto smiled tenderly at the baby in her arms, hugging him closer. "More than that, it's also a beautiful name, especially when placed alongside the name of our clan."
"The name Uchiha represents the fan that feeds the strength of the flames used by our clan," little Itachi recited a part of his father's teachings, but there was something he didn't understand. "How does my little brother's name match that of our clan?"
Especially when his own name had no deep meaning.
"The Will of Fire..." Mikoto whispered, her smile growing as Sasuke began to play with her long strands of hair. "The One Who Protects the Will of Fire. To me, that is what Uchiha Sasuke means."
Itachi's eyes lit up.
"In that case," he said, leaning closer to his newborn little brother. "I will be the one who protects Sasuke!"
Mikoto stroked her older boy's hair, happiness ever-present.
"Exactly," she couldn't agree more. "Just as a big brother should."
Whenever Sasuke focused on one of these memories, his heart was overwhelmed with happiness and sadness as he realized how much things had changed.
At one point, before the Kyuubi's attack and the clan being practically exiled to the outskirts of the village, it seemed that his mother also believed in the Will of Fire left by Hashirama.
The same Will of Fire that manipulated people into putting Konoha above everything else, whether it be their own lives or the lives of their families.
Just as it had happened to Itachi and many others, according to Danzou.
All to maintain an illusion of peace, fueled by the blood of innocent people.
Which was why Sasuke intended to destroy everything that the Will of Fire represented.
As for Ruby's question, he didn't know whether to answer or not. However, the expectant gaze of these girls, who felt no fear when they heard his name, made him reconsider.
"The One Who Protects Life." That was Sasuke's interpretation of his own name, prioritizing people over a distorted belief that only served to manipulate others. That's right, I will bring the world together and stop all wars.
No matter what it takes.
As for the girls, they couldn't help but smile.
Yang, because she knew that name was fitting considering what had happened last night. As for Ruby, her silver eyes sparkled with admiration, even more certain that they could be great friends!
Sasuke knew that look; it was the same one he had as a child whenever Itachi showed him a new technique.
Receiving a look like that hurt.
Sasuke didn't feel worthy of admiration, much less the kind she was giving him.
"You have the name of a hero!" Ruby exclaimed, now seeing that it wasn't just this boy's cloak that was cool, his name was too! I have to become friends with him!
Who knows, maybe they could be heroes together!
"It's just a name." While Sasuke didn't want to spit on the name his mother had given him, even though it was a tribute to the father of someone he detested, the comparison this girl drew made him uneasy. Especially when I'm considered an international criminal.
Sasuke could be many things, but a hero was not one of them.
"Still, it's a pretty cool name." Yang approached, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "Mine is Yang, Yang Xiao Long! Which means Sunny Little Dragon!"
All things considered, it was just the perfect name for her!
"Mine is Ruby, Ruby Rose!" Ruby introduced herself, too, but quickly lost some of her enthusiasm when she realized something. "Which means... Ruby Rose?"
While she loved her own name, it seemed rather weak in comparison to Sasuke and her older sister.
"Come on, don't be like that, little sis!" Yang hugged Ruby closer, trying to cheer her up a little. "Your name may not have a deep meaning, but it's still as cute as you are!"
This made Sasuke pause in his attempt to unlock his malfunctioning device, somehow going from cutting fruit to throwing birds at pigs.
"Little sis?" He was looking at these two girls and couldn't see any resemblance between them. I know Remnant can be really different from my world, but this is getting ridiculous.
Not even their last names were the same.
"Oh, we have the same father, but different mothers." Yang elaborated on something that confused a lot of people. "I got my father's, Taiyang Xiao Long, family name. Ruby, on the other hand, decided to take her mother's, Summer Rose, family name."
A choice that the whole family wholeheartedly supported.
"I see." It made a little more sense now, but Sasuke didn't care enough to question it further, especially when he realized that this could be a sensitive subject, and turned to the girl in red. "You wanted to ask me something, didn't you?"
Ruby had almost forgotten why she had approached this boy in the first place!
"Yes!" She nodded repeatedly, but soon she was playing with her fingers again, not knowing how to broach the subject. "You mentioned my eyes yesterday, right?"
Sasuke's interest grew a little.
"Why?" he asked, curious about what Ruby had in mind. "Did you learn anything about it?"
Eye powers would always have his attention.
"I..." Ruby hesitated a little, remembering her father's reaction and how much she should reveal about the subject, especially when it involved her late mother. "I just found a little legend about warriors with silver eyes."
One that was very vague and treated as a children's story.
"Wait, you didn't tell me about this." Yang crossed her arms, a little upset at being left out, but only until she remembered what had happened the night before. I can hardly remember the last time I saw Dad so sad.
Except it had been at Summer's funeral, someone who had a direct connection to those silver eyes.
"I'm sorry, Yang." Ruby didn't like keeping secrets, no matter how simple they were. "But it's just a legend."
There was no way any of that could be true.
Or so she believed.
"Every legend is based on truth." Sasuke would know, especially since he had recently met more than one legend in person. "Tell me more about it."
Suddenly, his interest in Ruby Rose had risen to another level.
Who knows, maybe this girl really was special.
"That..." Ruby paused for a second, considering Sasuke's words before deciding to share what she had discovered. "The legend only refers to the silver-eyed warriors as saviors blessed by the light of a god, and that they were feared by the Grimm."
All things considered, this must be about the God of Light, another legend about the Divine Brothers who created Remnant.
"Wow, that's cool!" Yang smiled, squeezing Ruby into her embrace. "I knew you were special!"
In more ways than one!
"Yang!" Ruby felt embarrassed and escaped her sister's bear hug. "I don't want to be considered special! Especially after I skipped two years to join Beacon!" She had had enough of that back in Signal, hating the way she was treated for being the little sister of the most popular girl, daughter of one Professor and apprentice to another. "What will everyone think if I have anything to do with ancient legends?"
All she wanted was to be a normal girl trying to become a Huntress.
"That's a foolish way of thinking." Sasuke made Ruby flinch with his honesty, and even Yang was taken aback. "If you exceed your peers, be proud of that fact and don't pay attention to what others have to say." He would know, having grown up in that kind of toxic environment, as a victim of the expectations of people who didn't matter. "As long as you have power, they will respect you... Or fear you."
There might be a fine line between the two, but the result was still similar.
Ruby gulped, not liking this way of thinking, especially when this boy seemed to be speaking from personal experience.
"I... don't want to be feared by anyone, let alone by the people I want to help." Ruby hardened her resolve and looked into the darkness of Sasuke's hood, somehow being able to see more than just that red eye adorned with black commas. He... looks sad.
While she could only see a silhouette of this boy's hidden face, she could tell that he was not happy, and that bothered her deeply.
Ruby was not the only one who felt this way.
The answer she had was one that didn't please Sasuke, especially when he intended to help the people of his world by making them fear him and forcing them to unite against him.
At least, that was the initial plan.
Now, he wasn't so sure anymore, and that was exactly what bothered him.
"Good luck with that," was all Sasuke had to say about it, and before any of the girls could respond, he decided to continue with the subject that had been left open and that really mattered. "As for your eyes, I can see that they have something special because of your Aura."
Although it wasn't an exact science, in this girl's case, the distinction couldn't be greater.
"You... can see my Aura?" Ruby didn't mind the change of subject for obvious reasons and was surprised by this revelation. "I thought Aura could only be seen clearly in conjunction with certain types of Semblance or when it breaks?"
Which did not include her own, especially since it had not broken in the presence of this boy, but then she remembered his unique eye and came to the same conclusion as Yang.
His eyes were special!
"Your Aura is bright red." Sasuke could clearly see the flame that represented all of Ruby's Spiritual Energy, except for one part. "Your eyes, on the other hand, emit a silver Aura completely different from the rest of your body. Normally, this can only mean two things: Either you have a pair of special eyes, or you had someone else's eyes transplanted."
He himself had been through it before, so this couldn't be ruled out.
"Of course not!" Ruby retorted, horrified at the mere thought of having someone else's eyes on her! "I mean, how does that even work?!"
She knows that there are technological implants designed to help those who have lost their sight, but not about eye transplants.
"She has a point." That was interesting and all, but Yang couldn't help but be a little skeptical. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"
It was one thing for him to have a kind of dynamic vision that allowed him to read and anticipate his opponent's movements, but it was quite another for him to be able to literally see into someone's soul even when their power wasn't in use.
Besides, Yang didn't want to see Ruby deluded into chasing something that might not be real.
"What do I get out of lying?" Sasuke was increasingly feeling like he was back on a team with Naruto. Joining Beacon really was a bad decision.
Just one more of many, but one that served a great purpose.
"I don't know, but maybe you've set your eyes on my cute little sister?" Yang kind of teased, kind of not. To be honest, it would be weird if he weren't interested in her.
After all, Ruby was beautiful and had this super cute side that attracted a lot of attention. Of course, her little sister didn't know this because Yang, her father and uncle, worked constantly to keep all the trash away from her.
The problem this time, however, would be the fact that Yang was unable to scare this guy into staying away from Ruby.
Sasuke was the one to scare.
"Y-Yang!" Ruby blushed so much that her face had turned as red as her cloak! "D-don't say stuff like that!"
What if Sasuke got mad?!
Besides, apart from that pervert, no one had really seen Ruby as a girl.
Until now.
"Well, she definitely has my interest." Sasuke wouldn't deny that fact, still wanting to find out more about the kind of powers her silver eyes held. "Especially now."
That little legend Ruby had discovered helped explain the traces of divinity he could see in her eyes, being similar to the power Naruto had received from the Sage.
Now, as a person, this girl was very idealistic and innocent, especially with the way she was reacting to a mere provocation from her older sister, but Sasuke would still choose Ruby over Yang ten times out of ten.
Not because he didn't like this blonde girl or that she wasn't pretty, because she was at levels that were even disconcerting, but because of how similar she was to Naruto.
Even with his eyes, Sasuke wasn't sure if he would be able to see past that.
As for Ruby, she was almost overheating and starting to melt!
That's because Sasuke had just confirmed Yang's suspicion!
Ruby fumed and hid behind her sister, soon working up the courage to peek out from between Yang's beloved golden hair and look at Sasuke again.
A boy is interested in me... She swallowed her heart that threatened to jump out of her throat and hid again as soon as she saw this boy focus his only visible eye on her. That's never happened before!
Everyone always says that Ruby was too childish, that she never took anything seriously, and that she was annoying...
She had come to learn over time that some people could be quite mean.
But that aside, Ruby didn't know what to do!
Sasuke's name and cloak were pretty cool, but she hadn't even met his weapon yet!
Her mind wasn't ready to respond to someone's feelings like that!
In that case, there was only one way to deal with a situation like this, fully acting like the big girl she was:
Running away!
Immediately, Ruby turned into a whirlwind of petals and crashed into an iron wall, causing the entire Bullhead to shake!
"Ruby!" Yang shouted as she ignored the commotion caused and ran to help her clueless little sister. "You have to stop doing that!"
One day, she was going to end up hurting herself or those around her!
In Sasuke's eyes, this was a reaction as interesting as it was amusing.
Normally, just returning a girl's gaze was enough to make her fantasize about the children they would never have, but here was a girl who had his interest and who in response decided to avoid him...in a way that could only be described as cute.
The hint of a smile adorned Sasuke's hidden features.
Who knows, maybe he was wrong and Beacon wouldn't be so bad.