Sasuke rubbed his thumb against his forefinger, a habit that surfaced when he was thinking too hard.
Stopping it crossed his mind.
The thought didn't last.
The sun had already sunk past the rooftops, its edge slipping toward evening. Even if he ran now, it would change nothing. Whatever had begun was already in motion. Root. His brother. The pieces were moving without him.
He dismissed the idea without regret.
What if he revealed everything?
The answer came just as cleanly.
Too late. Too weak. Too dependent on someone else's mercy.
His gaze stayed level, but his thoughts shifted, turning the problem over from another angle. He had always worked this way. Safe paths first. Reckless ones next. Only then the desperate options.
From any of them, one conclusion remained unchanged.
If he was to live in this world as Uchiha Sasuke, a powerful clan was an asset. A destroyed one was a liability. But the future had already chosen its shape.
That left him with a narrower question.
What could still be taken?
The answer surfaced immediately.
His parents' eyes.
More precisely, his father's.
Fugaku Uchiha had never shown it publicly, yet the signs were there. Too many, to be coincidence. Even if the truth varied from record to record, the likelihood was overwhelming.
A Mangekyō Sharingan did not disappear quietly.
Sasuke lowered his eyes, breath steady. The tightness in his chest sharpened for an instant, then faded. He closed his eyes until the sensation passed.
When he opened them again, the calm was back.
If he could not prevent the night, then he would prepare for what came after it.
A prickle crept along his scalp.
Someone was watching him.
The sensation came from above, distant but focused. Sasuke didn't look up. He didn't need to. He had always been sensitive to attention, the kind that lingered a fraction too long.
The presence felt deliberate, impersonal.
It didn't last.
Within minutes, the pressure vanished, just as he had expected. Whoever it was had other matters demanding their attention tonight.
Sasuke glanced down.
On his knee, beneath the desk, an old scrape from taijutsu practice had nearly healed.
Nearly.
He pressed two fingers into it and twisted slightly.
Pain flared. Blood welled.
A few nearby students noticed as he stood, red staining his pant leg. Their expressions shifted from surprise to understanding.
The infirmary.
"Be more careful next time," the medic said gently, finishing the bandage. "You're lucky it didn't reopen worse."
"I will," Sasuke replied, polite and brief.
As she turned away, he scanned the shelves of supplies.
"Sensei," he added, "I'd like to buy a few things."
She adjusted her glasses. "What do you need?"
"Saline. Medical alcohol. Healing spray."
She nodded, ringing them up without comment.
Sasuke left the infirmary and headed straight for the restroom. He locked himself into a stall and waited.
Three minutes passed.
No pressure. No eyes.
That was enough.
He opened his pouch.
On top lay the familiar bento box. He set it aside carefully, then removed several sealing scrolls beneath it.
Supplies first.
He studied the items in his hands, then shook his head slightly. Sealing them directly wouldn't be enough. Too obvious. Too easy to inspect.
His gaze slid to another scroll.
A sword seal.
Chakra flowed.
A standard Uchiha blade appeared in his grip. He compared the handle to the bottle of saline, measuring with a glance.
It would fit.
He worked quickly but precisely, carving out the interior of the hilt with a kunai, preserving the outer shape. Every shaving dropped into the toilet below. He checked the time once, then sped up, careful not to rush too much.
When he was finished, the bottle slid neatly into place.
The pommel sealed. A length of blue cord wrapped tight around the grip, disguising the modification.
Sasuke exhaled softly.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was enough.
He cleaned up, flushed repeatedly, resealed the blade, and returned everything to the scrolls. The pouch closed without a sound.
When he stepped back into the hallway, his expression was unchanged.
He walked toward the classroom, steady and unhurried, as the sky outside continued to darken.