"Sasuke!"
"Sasuke-kun!"
Those annoying, recognizably distinct voices of his two teammates were the last thing Sasuke heard from his home world.
Kaguya, the rabbit goddess, afraid of her imminent defeat, resorted to her time-space manipulation technique to separate him from Naruto and try to ensure her victory.
After all, without Sasuke and his half of the Six Paths' power, it wasn't possible to seal Kaguya, objectively the only way to defeat her.
Even more unexpected for Sasuke, however, was falling into a world inhabited by sentient humanoid beings with a culture even more advanced than his own, much more advanced from what little he could see so far.
Considering that Kaguya was an alien, it was to be expected that there would be other similar living beings out there, but it was still a surprising discovery.
What didn't make sense was that Kaguya had thrown Sasuke into a habitable place like this when she could have tried to kill him in an inhospitable place.
That acid-filled dimension was an example of this, or one devoid of oxygen would also be problematic.
Another theory Sasuke had was that Kaguya had been sealed away for more than a thousand years, so perhaps, back in her day, this dimension was inhospitable.
That or she wants to kill me personally... Given the goddess's hunger for Chakra, Sasuke couldn't dismiss the possibility. In that case, she could come after me at any moment.
That wasn't good.
Although powerful, Sasuke knew his limitations and that at most he would only be able to repel Kaguya for a short amount of time before running out of Chakra.
With that in mind, it didn't take him long to hide his presence to the limit and change location to at least try to buy some time until he could find a way back or be helped by those left behind.
Fortunately, Sasuke could easily blend in with the local population, except for the second race that inhabited this world. Glancing around, he could see some people with different animalistic features.
Honestly, it wasn't the first time that Sasuke had seen people like this, where even in the Elemental Nations there were some, like Kisame and Kabuto, as well as a bunch of experiments that Orochimaru had conducted, including on himself to turn into a disgusting snake.
Faunus, they're called. It didn't take Sasuke long to discover this piece of information. They'll probably think I'm one too with these eyes... or an anomaly.
His eyes were unique, even in a strange world like this.
Fortunately, being able to understand these people was one of the unexpected advantages that Sasuke had, and which raised some questions.
It might be a rare language spoken by the Ryuuchi cave snakes and their contractors, but it was still quite a coincidence.
Trying not to think about it, Sasuke stealthily explored the city as much as he could while waiting for rescue or an enemy attack, but nothing happened.
"It's been hours..." His eyes were focused on the moon above and the absurdity that each of those broken fragments represented. "And there's still no sign of space-time manipulation."
His Rinnegan could perceive those fluctuations, and possibly manipulate them if he had more time to study and test the limit of this eye. As such, Sasuke kept his attention constantly on his arrival point, the most likely point of rescue or continuation of the deadly conflict with Kaguya.
However, so far, nothing.
In fact, Sasuke couldn't even sense the presence of Kaguya or Naruto anymore.
That could only mean that this dimension was much more distant than the others he had been forced to visit.
Everything else was just speculation.
The most plausible one for Sasuke, taking into account the absurd amount of Chakra used by Kaguya to throw him into this world, would be that this dimension was beyond her control.
If so, that cost would keep her away for some time, or at least until she killed Naruto and the others before turning the rest of the Elemental Nations into an army of White Zetsu.
The fact that an immortal goddess like that remotely needed an army was just as worrying.
What exactly was she preparing to fight?
The prospect of having an even bigger enemy out there made Sasuke uneasy. If Kaguya was already a problem he couldn't defeat on his own, what would happen when this other enemy, who was supposedly more powerful, suddenly appeared one day?
This made Sasuke hesitant to continue with his original plan and get rid of Naruto after Kaguya.
Unless he could get even stronger.
If I had enough time... A deep look at the moon seal reminded Sasuke of his origins that transcended his own flesh. I am the reincarnation of a demigod.
Otsutsuki Indra, the eldest son of the Sage of the Six Paths.
I still have a lot of untapped potential, especially considering my age. Sasuke had just turned seventeen and could feel that he hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of his power, especially with his new left eye. If I mastered my Rinnegan completely, I'd have a better chance against Kaguya and whatever else is out there. Touching his chest, the place where his own sword had been used to pierce him through the heart, he could feel another kind of much-coveted power. Kabuto used cells from the First Hokage to heal me.
With this, not only had his healing factor and Chakra reserves been raised to another level, but Sasuke was sure that he could also use the Wood Style.
Chakra absorption, the biggest problem in facing Kaguya, could be nullified with Hashirama's power.
Considering that Madara, Obito, and even that piece of garbage Danzou could use the Wood Style, there was no reason for Sasuke not to be able to do the same.
There was still hope.
Besides, considering the abysmal amount of Chakra Kaguya used to get rid of him, it must have weakened her to the point where Naruto was more than capable of holding her off on his own for a while.
My Rinnegan is based on space-time; once I've mastered it, getting home on my own shouldn't be difficult. Sasuke stood on the edge of a five-story building where he was resting and observed the city below in search of something useful. If my eyes aren't deceiving me, this world must be in a dimension where time flows faster, much faster. He stopped, finding a bookstore, the most rudimentary source of information in history. In that case, time is on my side.
At least, Sasuke wanted to believe that to be the case, so everything his brother had sacrificed wouldn't have been in vain.
"Time to learn a few things." Sasuke touched one of his storage seals and retrieved the black cloak used to enter Konoha before reviving the Kages. This will help me go unnoticed. Although suspicious, it was much better than the heated stares he received from women. As if I didn't have enough problems already, the female hormones in this world work the same way as in my old one.
Sometimes, a Uchiha's good looks were more of a curse than a blessing.
That aside, Sasuke descended into the nearby alley, but before he continued walking, he made a hand seal and interrupted the flow of Chakra in his eyes. There was no reason to keep them active and waste even more energy, but something didn't seem to have gone as expected, and the reflection of his face in a pane of glass told him why.
My Rinnegan... didn't deactivate? Sasuke moved closer to his reflection and noticed that only the tomoes that adorned his divine eye had disappeared. Maybe it's a permanent mutation? He focused, trying again for a few seconds, only to get the same result. "Just my luck."
Taking a deep breath, he decided to give up for now and make use of his long locks of hair to cover his eye.
In the end, not having time to cut his hair over the past year came in handy.
With half his face covered by hair and a hood to go with it, Sasuke only expected to have problems with the authorities from this point on.
Much better than the alternative of being harassed at every turn or questioned and perhaps even persecuted because of his eye.
Soon after, Sasuke found himself standing in front of the local bookstore.
It is still open. Since it was late at night, he figured he'd have to break in. Fortunately, there is no one around apart from the clerk.
That would make things a little easier.
Entering the place, Sasuke came across a middle-aged man whose physique was more suited to a fighter than a librarian.
Looks can be deceiving, he knew, having learned not to judge a book by its cover. The irony.
Especially when you consider where he was.
"Welcome to Tukson's bookstore, all the books in one place..." Tukson stopped at the end of his sentence, staring at the newly arrived customer in fear. Wh-what is this?
Not just because of the appearance of a possible criminal, but because of his instincts screaming danger. That single obsidian eye looked like a mirror that only reflected the image of his own death.
"History books, where can I find them?" Sasuke asked, taking a step towards the attendant and noticing something. He's a faunus. One that could hide his animalistic traits very well from more inattentive eyes, but not from a Uchiha. That and he's terrified of me.
The question now was the reason behind this reaction.
As for Tukson, he found himself taking a step back at the request that sounded more like an order, and fear was there to grip his heart, preventing him from even answering.
"I don't know why you're afraid, but I have no intention of hurting you," Sasuke intoned slowly as he chose to walk towards the bookshelves in an attempt to appease this frightened man. "I'm just looking for some books and maybe some extra information."
Some time ago, when Sasuke had a conversation with the nine-tailed fox, now named Kurama, inside Naruto, that walking mass of hatred claimed that Sasuke's Chakra was even more ominous than his own, and it only got worse from that point on.
With that in mind, for a being with animal instincts, Sasuke must look like something akin to death incarnate.
"I'm sorry..." Tukson struggled, and hard, to regain some control, speak, and point a trembling finger at what this evil entity wanted. "A-all the history books are over there."
Sasuke asked for nothing more, almost feeling sorry for this man; almost.
"Hn," he thanked in his own way and retrieved one of the many books whose title interested him. "The History of Remnant..." Activating his Sharingan, Sasuke made use of the dynamic vision provided by his bloodline to facilitate learning. Interesting.
In five minutes, he had gone through the entire four-hundred-page book and memorized all its contents.
Normally, Tukson would say that his store wasn't a library, but in this case, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.
"Grimm, Dust, Hunters, Aura, and Semblances..." Sasuke went over the most important points he had learned and allowed himself to show a little confusion on his normally inexpressive face. As expected, this world is...different in many ways.
In a sense, because of these creatures of darkness, Remnant was worse than the Elemental Nations
His curiosity rose to another level, and suddenly, time no longer mattered as Sasuke immersed himself in these books.
An hour later, to the dread of Tukson, who stood trembling without being able to move the entire time, Sasuke had read everything available on the subject and learned more than he expected or would have liked.
"My revolution...is flawed?" Sasuke put the last book back on the shelf and leaned on it, his unique eyes wide in realization. "It shouldn't be like this..."
The existence of the Grimm, the creatures of darkness, sworn enemies of humanity and faunus of this world, contradicted the answer he had found.
These things have existed since the beginning of time, the vast majority taking the form of some living being that inhabits this ecosystem, rarely humanoid, and which has been putting pressure on humanity and faunus to the point where there are only four kingdoms left.
According to the books, these four kingdoms were something on the level of a shinobi village equivalent to Konoha, apart from a few settlements here and there being wiped out too often to be recorded.
Still, they have time to war with each other... Sasuke couldn't believe how stupid humans and faunus could be. Instead of coming together to face their common enemy, they continue to be consumed by greed and the quest for superiority.
It irritated him that the whole history of this world was practically screaming at him that his plans for revolution wouldn't work.
Even if it did, it would be temporary.
Mutual understanding is nothing more than idealism and illusion. There is no such thing as Utopia. Sasuke knew this; his life had taught him that Naruto's dreams could not be realized. More powerful men with pure hearts have tried. The Sage of the Six Paths, his son, and many others after him, including the first Hokage. All failed, the only thing that has remotely worked so far is having an enemy powerful enough to force unity amid discord.
However, Remnant contradicted the answer Sasuke had reached after talking to the old Kages.
Despite having a common enemy knocking on their doors day and night, this world had been through a great war and was experiencing extreme racial division.
Dammit... Sasuke sank his fingers into the solid wood of the bookcase, and Tukson's face lost color with the malice he released. What am I supposed to do then?
True peace was proving to be an impossibility.
No... There must be something. Sasuke took a deep breath to calm himself and control the Chakra churning inside of him. I just need more information.
With a better understanding of this world, he could have an even better answer to aid his final decision.
It wouldn't be smart to arrive at that answer based on a few books, whose authors' opinions might be somewhat biased.
With that in mind, Sasuke added another goal to his list. As long as there was time, he would learn more about this world and its reality while preparing for his imminent fight with Kaguya.
Turning to the store owner, he almost made the man's heart stop beating with the ominous sight of his Sharingan glowing amidst the shadow of his hood.
"Tell me, what's the biggest library in this kingdom?" Sasuke demanded, with no time to consider the feelings of a random man he would never see again after this day. Everything would be easier with Genjutsu.
Unfortunately, illusions didn't seem to work with the people of this world, who depended entirely on the Spiritual Energy provided by the soul and didn't make use of the Vital Energy provided by the flesh.
Therefore, Sasuke determined that this incomplete form of Chakra hindered his illusion techniques, at least the ones of the base Sharingan. Illusions using the Mangekyou or above infiltrated the opponent's body with the user's Chakra, and there was no telling how Aura would react to it.
The last thing Sasuke wanted right now was to get carried away by his emotions and test high-level illusions on innocent civilians.
Tukson swallowed what seemed to be his own heart and did his best to regain control of his nerves on the verge of collapse.
"B-Beacon Academy," he managed to say, and was relieved by the slight nod Death gave him. I think I'm going to have a heart attack...
If he survived this, Tukson would be taking a very long vacation away from Vale.
Beacon... Sasuke had read about this academy in one of the books before, being one of the most famous places in the world for producing Huntsmen and Huntresses who shine like a beacon of hope in a world overtaken by darkness. It makes sense that a place like that would have a large collection of books.
To prepare their guardians properly, it was the bare minimum.
"What are the requirements for joining that academy?" Sasuke had already been in one, and as much as it had been a waste of time for the most part, it was undeniable that there was a lot to be gained when you didn't know the world around you. If this academy is that big, it should have training areas and even lodgings that I can use.
It was like hunting two wild boars with one arrow.
"Eh?" Tukson couldn't hide his surprise, and soon regretted it to the core when he saw that red eye narrowing. "D-documentation in order, being seventeen, knowing how to fight, having your Aura unlocked, and having a recommendation normally obtained by a preparatory school!" he managed to say it all in one breath and saw Death pondering his words before remembering something. "Oh, and there also seems to be an initiation test."
Tukson needed to thank Blake for telling him all this recently.
"I see." Sasuke reflected briefly. He knew how to fight, that much he was sure of. The age was a convenient coincidence; he was worried that it was an academy for children, but it turned out to be some kind of post-graduate course like the Anbu. As for Aura, I have something much better.
Now he just needed proof of previous education, a recommendation, and identification documents.
That could complicate things. Sasuke knew nothing about how the society of this world worked, so infiltration might not be an option. "When does this initiation start?"
Honestly, he hadn't expected this frightened man to know everything, but conveniently, he was well-informed for a mere librarian.
"In two days!" Tukson answered without thinking and saw Death look surprised, then suspicious. "A friend's daughter is joining Beacon soon..."
Someone he would have to warn about this meeting...if he survived to tell the tale.
"Last question." Sasuke ignored the happiness and hope appearing in his unintended victim's eyes. "Do you know anyone who can get me documents and a recommendation in two days?"
Surpassing his expectations, the librarian knew the owner of a nightclub in the center of town, called Junior, who did business outside the law.
Getting much more than he hoped for, Sasuke left the store satisfied, but not before placing some of the money he had acquired from the people on the street on the counter and seeing the greatest expression of disbelief ever shown towards him.
At the very least, this man thought Sasuke was going to kill him. Perhaps some time ago, he would have done just that. However, this was no longer the case, and Sasuke regained control over his actions, including his dogma of not killing unless necessary.