CHAPTER 2:

THE LAST UCHIHA

It was some weeks after her talk with the Hokage. That night, with the Hokage's permission, she had sat down and had a long talk with her parents about it. She had resolved to not hate Naruto. Yes, she would be wary of him, for despite her respect for the Fourth Hokage, she didn't know enough about fuinjutsu to know how strong the seal was. But to confuse Naruto with the Kyuubi was stupid, in light of what the Hokage said.

What the Hokage said meant that she felt a pang of sympathy for the obnoxious blonde. Shunned for the most part, occasionally attacked by morons, isolated and alone…no wonder he was so attention-seeking. It was either that, or end up an apathetic mess. Or even a misanthropic one.

Feeling somewhat sorry for him, Sakura had given Naruto a book (one of a very few, and costing her quite a bit of pocket money) on the history of Uzushio and the Uzumakis for his birthday, through the Hokage. He deserved to know a little about his clan's origins, though apparently that led to Naruto pestering the Hokage (whom he frequently, and affectionately, called 'Old Man') more often about his parents. Thankfully, the Hokage seemed to be grateful that Sakura had taken pity on Naruto, rather than being annoyed by her giving the boy that book. She asked that she be kept anonymous: Naruto had a habit of asking her to eat lunch with him, something which she continually refused, if only because she wouldn't get the peace and quiet she wanted with him around. Learning that she had given him a birthday present would only make him pester her even more.

The Hokage was also true to his word when he gave her an encryption jutsu. It could be used on the object to be encrypted, so all one had to do was write. What was more, it was keyed to her chakra, so only she could read it, unless, of course, she wanted someone to(1). Even someone peeking over her shoulder couldn't tell, unless she allowed them to read it.

Which was why she was writing in her journal again during lunch break…


From the private and encrypted journal of Sakura Haruno:

Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Notes: Troublemaker. Prankster. All-around pain in the derriere. Naruto Uzumaki is obnoxious and loud. And not just in terms of speaking: he habitually dresses in an orange jumpsuit that screams 'look at me, I'm a target'.

And yet…it's amazing he has turned out the way he has, considering the burden that has been placed on him. He was chosen by the Fourth Hokage to have the Kyuubi sealed within him. Naruto Uzumaki, jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. A boy who has never asked for such a burden. The other villagers often treat him with contempt, and to get around the Hokage's laws, tell their children to treat him the same.

Despite this, or because of this, he intends to become Hokage, in order to gain the respect he felt has been rightfully denied to him. And in a way, he is right. By being the prison for the Kyuubi, he does deserve some respect. But then, his actions tend to wipe that away. He loves pranks. Then again, when you look at it from the right angle, pranking does require some of the skill required of a shinobi.

By the way, if you value your sanity, do NOT ask him about ramen and why he likes it so much. You will regret it. To say he likes ramen is like saying Orochimaru was a little treasonous. Then again, I have heard about some of the habits of some of the jounin. A ramen obsession is sane by comparison.

Distinguishing Marks and Characteristics: Has whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks, possibly a side-effect of the Kyuubi being sealed. Wears bright orange clothing. Has blonde hair and blue eyes. Has a distinctive verbal tic, 'dattebayo'.

Skills: None known, and is inept with many things. However, has tenacity and enthusiasm in spades. Given his status, and what I know of jinchuriki, he also has immense chakra reserves.


"Sasuke!" came the distinctive cry of her friend, Ino Yamanaka. With a sigh, Sakura looked up to see her friend and rival for Sasuke's affections (if they existed at all) approaching the sullen Uchiha. As much as Sakura wanted Sasuke's affections, he was also somewhat unapproachable. She did approach him on occasion, and did try to sit close to him. But her days of screaming out his name like a fangirl had gone behind her.

Ino, please, you're embarrassing yourself, not to mention your clan, Sakura thought to herself. Then again, it wasn't like she was the only one. And Sakura had done a lot of fangirling herself…until she realised Sasuke wouldn't respond to that.

So what would he respond to?

She put away her journal, and then walked over to where Ino was pestering Sasuke. Sakura liked the blonde girl quite a bit. Besides the fact that Ino had stood up to her against some bullies, there was no student in the class more knowledgeable about plants than Ino, as far as Sakura knew.

The last Uchiha was walking back to the classroom, sweat tinging his flushed face. Sakura knew that he often spent breaks training. He was obsessed with it. Not quite as much as Naruto, but Sasuke was driven by a darker purpose than to become Hokage. He never spoke about it, but Sakura guessed that Sasuke wanted to become an avenger. She had done her research about the Uchiha Clan, and who had murdered them all, save for one. Sasuke's family were massacred by his older brother, Itachi.

Sakura had once stupidly tried to talk about it to Sasuke, only to receive a glare in return. Not the usual, strangely apathetic glare (how could a glare be apathetic? Sasuke apparently knew how to convey such a thing) he wore, but one filled with cold disdain and anger. She had backed off, but the damage had been done. She realised she had opened up an old wound, and had probably done more to anger him than any fangirl antics.

Even so, she wondered if his vehemence at her was solely due to Itachi murdering his clan, or whether it was something deeper than that. She didn't know it, but it was the latter.

Ino was still trying to get the last Uchiha's attention as Sakura walked by. "Oh, hey, Sakura, I was just asking Sasuke out," the Yamanaka said.

Sakura scoffed slightly. "If he wanted any of us to ask him out, he would have agreed ages ago. Isn't that right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke gave his rather customary noncommittal, sullen grunt, though the glance he shot in her direction was something new. Perhaps it was the faintest smidgen of respect. Or perhaps it was merely his way of saying 'At last, someone gets it!'

"Oh, and how would you know, Sakura?" Ino asked. "He's playing hard to get."

"I don't think he's like Naruto. I don't think he likes all the attention," Sakura pointed out. She couldn't resist a jab at the blonde girl's expense, though. "Your dad's in the T&I department, and your clan's noted for mind jutsu and psychology, so why can't you see that?"

"Hey, don't you diss me, Sakura!" Ino snapped.

"What? I'm just saying, Ino," Sakura said, though she allowed a smirk to grace her lips. "Besides, he could have the pick of any girl here."

"Or boy," Naruto remarked as he strutted by, a smug grin on his face. "That'd explain a lot!"

Sasuke, Ino and Sakura's faces went through a blizzard of expressions, from astonishment, to embarrassment, to anger. A little voice in Sakura's head remarked, That WOULD explain it. The rest of her told that part to shut up, quite vehemently.

Ino, of course, immediately chased after her fellow blonde, who was cackling like mad. Sakura merely facepalmed. As they walked through the corridors of the academy, Sasuke said, "I cannot afford to have anyone."

Sakura looked to the dark-haired boy. "What do you mean?"

"You understand little, Haruno," he said, looking at the pink-haired girl. "But that is better than understanding nothing. I have to grow stronger. I cannot have anything in my way if I am to take on…him."

"Naruto?" Sakura asked, until she realised her mistake. "Sorry. You mean your brother, Itachi."

"He is no brother of mine," Sasuke growled, his fist clenching. "Only once that murderous traitor is dead can I rebuild my clan. And only by becoming stronger can I achieve that. Nothing else matters." He scowled at Ino, who was pursuing Naruto into their classroom. "Certainly not frivolities."

For a moment, Sakura didn't know what to say. It was, frankly, the most Sasuke had really spoken to her, or to really anyone in the class. Eventually, she said, "Do you want any help? On the theory side of things?"

He looked at her, and shook his head. "No. I don't need it." But there was the faintest undertone in his voice that she may have imagined. It seemed to say, Your offer is noted. Not actually appreciated, but noted. It was almost kind coming from him.


Later, when she got home, she began writing her next entry…

Name: Sasuke Uchiha

Notes: The last Uchiha, barring his traitorous brother Itachi, he is the sole survivor of Itachi's massacre four years ago. If the ninja academy had a 'Most Eligible Bachelor' award, he would probably be it, probably because of the prestige attached to the name. It doesn't hurt that he's handsome as well.

But even I forget that he lost his family to his own brother's hands. Whatever that did to him, it probably shaped him into who he is now. I used to think he played hard to get. But now, I just know that his family's demise turned his heart to ice. And I doubt he'll allow anyone to thaw it, not after what he told me today. I should probably be grateful he confided that much in me.

That being said, he's very much a prodigy when it comes to jutsu. I know for a fact that his taijutsu and ninjutsu are way above virtually anyone else in my class. I'm sure that one day, he will be one of the most famous shinobi of this village, and hopefully for more than being the avenger of his clan.

Distinguishing Marks and Characteristics: Dark hair, dark eyes and pale skin. Will in all likelihood unlock his clan bloodline limit, the Sharingan. Brooding and sullen. Obsessed with revenge on his brother, Itachi.

Skills: A prodigy in taijutsu and ninjutsu, as stated above. Good on theory too.

Sakura looked at what she had written with a heavy heart. While her desire for friendship and perhaps more from Sasuke had not been extinguished, today had dealt a grievous blow to it. But Sasuke had done something that she would treasure, to some degree at least. He had not only opened up to her, a little, but he also at least acknowledged that she understood him a little. It was in an insulting, backhanded way, but he had acknowledged it.

But he had also shot down, or tried to shoot down, any desire she had for him. He had stated that he wanted to be alone, that he wanted to pursue his vengeance alone.

But given how much of a prodigy his brother was, Sakura wasn't sure how much of a chance Sasuke stood, even if he trained for as long as he could. Itachi was even more of a prodigy than Sasuke. Sakura had done some research into the top prodigies of Konoha shortly before starting her journal. There was Kakashi Hatake, aka Kakashi of the Sharingan (how a man like him got a Sharingan when it was a bloodline limit exclusive to the Uchiha clan, she didn't know), and then there was Might Guy, the eccentric taijutsu specialist known as the Green Beast of Konoha. You had the legendary students of the Hokage known as the Sannin, like the treacherous Orochimaru, the perverted writer Jiraiya, and the elegant Tsunade. But, save for the Sannin and the Hokages, one name seemed to stand out above the others, Itachi Uchiha.

To call him a prodigy seemed to be a cheapening of that word. He was all but in a class of his own. His rise through the ranks was meteoric.

He had it all. He was a captain in ANBU, a prestigious posting, even if it meant working from the shadows, behind a mask. And yet, he cast it all aside, murdering almost his entire clan, and fleeing Konoha. At least with Orochimaru, you could see events leading to his abandoning Konoha, the increasing darkness around him, even if only in hindsight. But Itachi? What signs had there been?

Not that she had known the man, or could find anything out from public records. Otherwise, there may have been signs to see. But there weren't, or else they were hidden. Even the Bingo Book's information was fairly dry and succinct. She looked into the eyes of Itachi in his picture in the Bingo Book. Sasuke's eyes may not glitter with any joy, but at least they seemed alive. But Itachi's eyes seemed like they belonged to a corpse, dull and tired. In fact, so did the rest of the face. It was a handsome face, but the expression was dull and lifeless. Itachi Uchiha seemed like a living corpse, a zombie, a revenant. Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine. He was already a bad enough boogyman without having to bring such a horrid concept into it.

She decided to do something for Sasuke. She knew that the other girls had sent him flowers and chocolates, hoping to win his affections. Hell, even she had done that. He'd never so much as said a thank you. So she decided to try a different tack. Given what she said, winning his affections would probably be impossible. But winning a small modicum of his respect was another matter entirely.


Sasuke Uchiha sighed when he found the latest batch of packages at the gates to the Uchiha clan compound. He only opened them just in case there were important documents from the council, the academy, or the Hokage.

Sasuke may not waste his life on frivolities, but it didn't mean he wasted them, either. The flowers, he arranged half-heartedly in vases around the compound. They helped lighten up the place, and they reminded him of his mother. The chocolates and sweets he discarded, though. He'd tell them that he preferred tomatoes and tomato dishes(2), but that'd only be encouraging the fangirls.

He frowned when he checked a bulkier package, a cardboard tube wrapped up with a document envelope. The envelope he opened first, thinking that it would be another declaration of love. That impression was reinforced when he saw the handwriting. Sakura's. But when he actually read the message, he frowned, or at least more than he usually did (frowning being his default expression for some years now).

Sasuke,

I know you said that you can't afford to have anyone else. I know you said you don't need any help. But I'd like to help regardless. I've given you two things. The first, which is with this letter, is a dossier I've compiled on Itachi about his career, as well as anything I gleaned from the Bingo Book. After all, you should know thy enemy, even if he was your brother. The second is a big picture of him that I managed to have blown up. I thought you could nail it or glue it or something to a wooden post to practice throwing kunai and shuriken at it. I hope this helps.

Sakura Haruno

Sasuke's frown deepened as he went through the dossier. Most of it, he knew already. He did, after all, live with Itachi as a brother. He was six when Itachi murdered his family, and subjected Sasuke to the horror of the Tsukuyomi. But there were a few things here and there that intrigued Sasuke, including some of Sakura's annotations. She even asked why Itachi did so.

Sasuke wasn't even sure himself. Not that he cared what reason Itachi had for murdering his family. All that mattered was getting stronger so that he could have his vengeance. But some of her observations were shrewd. What little respect for Sakura that Sasuke had grew minutely. He knew she was still trying to be with him, but at least she had a brain focused on something other than being with him. Interesting that a civilian-born wannabe kunoichi had succeeded where many clan heirs had not, in actually intriguing him.

And the blown-up picture of Itachi was moderately inspired. He was annoyed that he hadn't managed to think of that, but even a genius couldn't think of everything. He'd have to find a way of copying it, because he was sure that the picture would be little more than shredded paper, fit only for a cat's litter box, before the week was out…

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS NO JUTSU!:

So, we've had a chapter focusing on Sasuke. Frankly, from what I've read about Sasuke's character development, he's pretty much a prick as the events of Naruto go on. I will be bashing some of his less salubrious qualities, but I also intend to have a more rounded character who will hopefully not go down the dark path he did in canon.

That being said, his relationship with Sakura is off to a better start: he at least acknowledges that she understands something of what he has gone through, or at least knows how to back off with the fangirl behaviour. And her gift has scored some brownie points. I'm not sure where I'm going to take Sasuke's character, but I intend to reconstruct him.

Speaking of fangirls, Sakura and Ino's relationship is still that of friendship. But they like to tease each other at times. Ino and Sakura's rivalry here is more friendly than venomous: Ino thinks Sakura studies too much, but supports her taking the role of a kunoichi seriously. And Sakura knows that Ino is the go-to person when it comes to plants and poisons, though she can't resist taking her down a peg or too.

Now, I'm not sure at what age children normally enter the ninja academy in Konoha in canon: it's hard to tell how old Sakura and Ino are in the flashback showing how they met in the ikebana lesson. I'm putting it at about nine, with ten being the age they are now.

There'll probably be a couple more chapters, mostly vignettes, before we start on the canon storyline. I'm considering making the next chapter focused on Hinata and Naruto. I've got the perfect title too: A Humble Hyuuga Is NOT An Oxymoron.

1. I struggled to think of a decent encryption method ninjas would use. I thought of using chakra eventually, and realised, as I was writing it, that this was the method Kabuto used to conceal information on his cards during the Chunin Exams.

2. Apparently tomatoes are Sasuke's favourite food, according to TV Tropes (which presumably had information from the official character profiles). Go figure.