Part Three
Catching You Up
The Academy Graduation test had been so easy that Sasuke was disappointed. No chance to show his real abilities, just a triple doppleganger jutsu he'd learned last year. Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei knew his test was purely for the record, and he'd been handed his Hitai-Ate with little ceremony save an approving smile. The graduation ceremony was equally boring; he was at the front of the class because of his top ranking, which just meant he couldn't show his boredom at the Hokage's speech. Iruka-sensei shadowed the Hokage as normal afterwards, but they had agreed the day before to meet the next morning for breakfast.
Sasuke knew something was wrong later that night, with so many high level ninja running about the village obviously looking for someone or something, but didn't interfere. The note delivered early the next morning that said Iruka-sensei was healing and couldn't make it to breakfast made him wish he had. He'd rushed the few blocks to his sensei's apartment in time to hide from the exiting medic-nin and a masked ANBU heading down the stairs.
"To think he took a giant shuriken in the back for that fox-child." the medic shook her head derisively.
"Hmph." the ANBU agreed.
Shuriken? Fox-child...? Sasuke's mind raced, but the only possibility was Uzumaki Naruto, the class clown he and Iruka had studied a few months ago. Uzumaki had been born and orphaned the same day as the nine-tailed demon fox attacked, and many of the villagers treated him like a bad luck charm. He'd been the only student in Sasuke's class to fail the finals. What happened last night? he wondered. He quickly used the spare key Iruka-sensei had forced upon him last year to let himself into the apartment. "Sensei?"
"In here, Sasuke." the voice was weary, but not weak as he'd feared.
"What happened, Sensei?"
The next few weeks had been difficult. He knew that Iruka wouldn't change the team assignments no matter how much he complained, so he tried to be patient and hope. Unfortunately he'd been saddled with the Loud-Mouth Dobe, the Motor-Mouth Fangirl and the Mouth, What Mouth? Mysterious Masked Pervert Sensei; a great brainless trio of idiots. Between group training, missions, and the chuunin's own busy schedule, he didn't have much time for training with Iruka.
Worse, the loud-mouth was determined to attach himself permanently to Iruka-sensei, tackling him in the street and loudly demanding ramen dinners while proclaiming his superiority over Sasuke. Iruka offered to treat the rest of the team as well, but after one evening spent trying to avoid Sakura's insinuations that this was their first date, Naruto's angry glares that he had taken the blond's normal seat to Iruka's left and more typical insults, and Kakashi's doubly barbed comments, Sasuke swore off ramen for a year.
During their next practice session Iruka had said that Naruto didn't know any better, "He's so desperate for affection that he overdoes it. He's just afraid that I'm going to change my mind, he'll be fine once he realizes that I'm not going to."
"No one is as stubborn as Iruka-sensei." he'd said, then launched another barrage of shuriken, which had stopped the conversation for a while.
Uchiha Sasuke was of course not desperate for affection, which is why he never violated Iruka's personal space with random tackles. After observing how the older ninja seemed to enjoy being hugged he considered it, but his pride refused to follow after the Dobe's example. Just as he never demanded Sushi dinners: he'd earned every bite he'd eaten with well learned lessons. Naruto's babyish demands for indulgence were just that- the indulgence of a child who didn't consider the impositions he created, the kindnesses he presumed upon. Amaeru-baby. The brat even wore Iruka-sensei's hatai-ate without realizing the honor he'd been accorded.
Sasuke wasn't like the Dobe, he didn't need the affection of anyone, even his old teacher. Even as Naruto demanded more of Iruka's time, Sasuke found reasons to train alone with Uchiha special Jutsu he'd learned from family scrolls.
After the Chuunin exams the separation was nearly total. Iruka would still drop by Sasuke's apartment on occasion, and Sasuke still had a key to Iruka's home, but they no longer trained together. Iruka said he was glad that Sasuke had found a good teacher in Kakashi, who could teach him the more advanced techniques he was capable of.
Iruka never spoke of Sasuke's abandonment of his lessons. He neglected to mention that according to the mission reports iNaruto/i was the team member who cleverly used Henge and other basic techniques to surprise his opponents, in addition to the more advanced Rasengan and Chidori the boys had learned. When he tried a few times to lessen the growing jealousy he saw between the two boys Sasuke took it as favoring the blond boy. Iruka was hurt by the coldness from the boy he'd once been close to, but he thought that Sasuke had just grown more attached to Kakashi. Kakashi was a much more impressive shinobi than the teacher, he taught more advanced techniques, and was closer in personality to the black haired boy. Iruka never spoke of his sadness at the loss.
Sasuke didn't speak of his feelings, but that was normal for him.
That's done. Iruka nodded in satisfaction as he placed the final ward, then turned in the direction of his resting target, forming the hand seals with rapid precision. Sleep, dream...
Pages of backstory! Sorry! I tried to make it interesting. More plot in the next chapter. Which is already done! Go!
