Year 57 After the Founding of Konoha.
July 22nd, Konoha Hospital.
The world felt strange, or rather, I felt strange. Memories came to me of being a student, dealing with the stress that entails. But on the other hand, I also had memories of a genocide.
A genocide committed by the one I remembered as my brother, Uchiha Itachi. But was he really my brother? At times I remembered him as such, yet at the same time he felt like a stranger. Everything feels weird; the world around me was spinning. I felt stuck in a loop, reliving every moment from both lives.
In the end, I'm just letting myself be carried by this sensation; I've stopped trying to resist it. I just want this to be over.
***
On one of the hospital beds lay the body of Uchiha Sasuke, occasionally writhing with low groans escaping from him.
Beside him stood the village leader, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was deeply concerned about the situation of the Uchiha Clan's sole survivor.
"Hana, how long has he been having these convulsions?"
The medical ninja named Hana, of civilian background, was extremely worried—not only because the patient was the last surviving member of the Uchiha lineage, but also because she was in the presence of the village leader, and any mistake could cost her rank.
Despite her nervousness, she decided to answer frankly.
"It's been four hours, Hokage-sama. It started around six in the morning, after the patient had already stabilized. We estimate he might wake up within the next few minutes."
Just as she finished speaking, Sasuke's body stopped moving, then quickly sat up.
"Where am I? Who are—"
Without fully expressing the emotions he felt in that moment, and very abruptly, he vomited on himself before collapsing unconscious once more.
Only this time, it was very different.
"What is happening to me? Who am I?"
Staring at his palm, which felt both familiar and foreign, he reached a conclusion.
"So it wasn't a nightmare... I really am Sasuke. Or am I...?"