Chapter 1: Team Seven
...
"Hey Naruto." Naruto slurped the rest of his ramen and looked at his navy-haired best friend. "Say, I've been meaning to ask..."
"Yeah me too. Sasuke, you've been staring off into space for quite some time. If you don't want your ramen, I can help you finish it, before it gets any colder."
Sasuke slid the never touched bowl of Ichiraku ramen over to his hungry friend. "Didn't you ever get sick of chasing me around all these years? Why'd you do that?"
The blond boy put down his bowl and looked seriously at Sasuke. "Because you're my brother."
The Uchiha stared at his friend.
[Naruto didn't change at all.]
"Why'd you ask out of nowhere?" the blond questioned back while picking up his chopsticks again.
Sasuke ignored his noisy friend and stood up. He paid his portion and left the shop.
...
As Sasuke slowly strolled the familiar streets of the village he grew up in, he passed by the hospital.
Looking back at that building. Same as ever. How nostalgic.
Sasuke was about to continue walking when Sakura stepped out of the hospital and their eyes met.
"Sasuke-kun." The girl blushed. Even now, she couldn't help control her feelings when near the Uchiha.
"Sakura. Walk with me." The boy continued down the nostalgic streets of Konoha, accompanied by his former teammate. No words were exchanged until they walked along the river. "Sakura."
"Hmm?"
"Are you scared of me?"
The pink-haired girl looked at Sasuke who was expecting a direct answer. "No."
"Were you scared of me when we reunited at Orochimaru's den?" Sakura recalled the painful memory.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I knew that deep inside, Sasuke-kun still acknowledged us as your teammates." Sasuke looked at the beautiful standing in front of him.
"Sakura. You've grown a lot stronger." He turned his head slightly, but disappeared before Sakura was able to say anything in reply.
...
Sasuke walked up the stairs leading to the Lady Hokage's office, but stopped when he caught sight of the silver haired jounin.
"Kakashi."
"If it's not my old disciple."
"I have a question."
"Are you sure I'll be able to answer the questions of someone like you?" Sasuke sensed a little tension. It was understandable since he did try to kill his former teacher once. "Why don't you find someone else to answer you," Kakashi said as he continued to descend the stairs.
"Only you can answer this." The masked jounin turned around and looked indifferently at Sasuke. "Would it be alright if I continued to call you Sensei?" It took a lot of courage to throw away his pride to ask this question and Kakashi secretly liked the feeling of being the cause of his hurt ego.
"You were never officially removed from Team Seven. At least not that I know of."
"T...Thanks." The boy faltered. He wasn't quite used to that word yet.
"Sasuke. I'm treating Team Seven too BBQ tonight." Kakashi disappeared.
"Thanks Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke only dared whisper this after his respected teacher left.