001 ( video )

[supportively]

— this can really record what I'm saying?

[It takes a bit of time before the journal gets into focus revealing a dark haired woman who is now in view, it was obvious she had never used anything like the journal from the momentary glimpse of curiosity with her expression and that she is extremely calm about her arrival for the most part]

Oh! There we go. This is working, isn't it? Now I think I've heard the basics about this place but that hardly makes this anymore reassuring if we're to stay here. It's a bit worrying actually since I have a family to get back to, after all.

If these are supposed to be used for communication, I'm guessing people can hear me through this? I'm not sure whether I know anyone here yet but this seems be the way to find out— I'm looking for two of my sons or anyone who would be from Konoha? I'd really grateful for any help at all.

Comments

[supportively]

So you weren't— I'm glad. [She is still a bit shaken from hearing what happened to the clan but she looks relieved to know that she was right to assume both of them survive because of course that is what she is most worried about. She can only imagine how hard it must have been for Sasuke to tell her at all but she is glad that he did

At the mention of asking Itachi why they both survived, she wonders moment why she he couldn't just tell her himself but she doesn't ask that of him, instead she just nods] I'll ask him.

[Mikoto is still caught up in trying to process this and not cry at the same time so she does what she can actually do and she hugs him again] Sasuke, I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you both.

[fantheflame]

[Sasuke isn't looking at her. He can't. So her hug catches him by surprise, enough so that he jumps a little. But when she speaks? It's that which makes the tears start tumbling fresh down his cheeks again.]

No, Mom - don't - it's not -

[He wants to say it's not your fault but he doesn't know who is to blame anymore. If anyone is - though that's the thing, isn't it? No one is, no one person, and that's what's worst about this. It's the system's fault, the village's twisted hierarchy and all of its bullshit. If the Uchiha hadn't been ostracized as police - but then, where would they have been instead?]

[He doesn't have the words for this, for any kind of explanation. So he just lifts his arms to hold her again, close enough to rest his cheek against her hair.]

I'm sorry I couldn't stop it.

[supportively]

[All this was just so heartbreaking for Mikoto as Sasuke starts crying while hugging her back. She can't help but apologize especially upon knowing this the only place she would even see him all grown up like this compared to when she last saw him.

With the consequences of what happened due to Konoha finding out about the coup, it's something Mikoto does blame herself for because whether she agreed with it or not, she had to support her husband and she wonders if maybe she had said something to Fugaku then things could be different instead of how the end of it all resulted in leaving both her sons on their own with only each other.

Hearing Sasuke apologize for not being able to stop it, that's when tears start to form in her eyes and she just tightens her hug] Sasuke— no, please don't. It's not your fault either.

[fantheflame]

[Sasuke's breath hitches at that. Hitches hard, and his grip tightens in the hug. When the hitch breaks, something rattles loose in his chest, and his next breath is a sob.]

[Hearing his mother telling him not to blame himself flies in the face of everything he's believed for the last ten years, and he has absolutely no idea how to handle that.]

If I'd been stronger... if I'd known...

[If he'd been stronger he wouldn't have had to be practicing until too late at night for it to matter. He doesn't know what he could have done had be been there, but fuck, he could have tried.]