Chapter 3

"You guys better do a good job of cleaning this monument, because we're not leaving until both of you finish scrubbing the Hokage Monument, so you'd better be through," Iruka growled as he sat at the top while Sasuke and Naruto scrubbed away the graffiti. Naruto was grumbling about the injustice of it all while scrubbing his hero, the Yondaime, while Sasuke took the Shodai, the least warmongering of the bunch.

Out of all the Hokages Sasuke had to say that he admired him the most. Sure Sandaime was still in charge and a good man. Sure, Yondaime saved the village from the Kyūbi no Yoko but Shodai tried and mostly succeed in ending a multigenerational war/feud. Nidaime on the other hand...While he understood the practical reasons for some of the decisions made but that said there was enough evidence to indicate that some bias against his clan was present. So much that Sasuke considered him a big fat clan biased jerk.

"Who cares?" Naruto bellowed back at the teacher clearing Sasuke's wondering thoughts. "It's not like we've got anyone waiting at home!"

Sasuke snapped his head over to a now despondent Naruto as a silence fell upon the group. Sasuke didn't dare make a comment about the statement since it was the truth after all. However that said it was their approach on the matter that made the difference between them. Naruto cared that no one was waiting while Sasuke had long since come to terms with it even if still stung that his mother, Uchiha Mikoto, wasn't there to greet him.

Out all of the clan members he missed her the most...screw it he missed her out of all the clan period. As for his father, Fugaku….Well he kinda did but didn't. He was his father yes but Sasuke wasn't even close to him. His childhood was spent at first trying to gain his affection but soon releasing it was foolish attempt and giving it up as a loss. Sadly, this happened was when he was five and had entered into the Academy. Well Madame Christmas had said he was a bright boy so maybe his previous life had something to do with his pragmatic conclusion about his father. However as for his hell spawned brother. Well he could go and fuck himself.

Sasuke didn't care if the man was trapped in some foxhole preferably dying of trench foot covered with shit somewhere far away like say the equivalent of Drachma or freezing to death in the Briggs equivalent or if he got killed by some hunter-nin or some lucky genin. As far as he was concerned Itachi died at the tender age of 13. If he ever came around Konoha…Well, he had some experimental fire alchemy that Sasuke could test upon him. Using Itachi as a Guinea pig for his work was perhaps more appealing than it any right to be…

"Hey Naruto, Sasuke," Iruka called gaining their attention. "If you guys hurry up I'll take you guys to Ichiraku's for some ramen."

"WHOOOHOO!"

Sasuke ignored the whooping while he finished up his portion and quietly moved on to Sandaime's face. He personally didn't want to go to the ramen shop, rather he would just like to go back to his apartment and sleep. However that said, if Iruka-sensei was paying then he wasn't going to turn down some free food. After all, if he remembered correctly, his cabinet and refrigerator was low at this time so no onigiri for him. Pity.

He quickened his efforts least Naruto started nagging him for holding them up. Finally, after a huge effort on other of their parts the project was finished and they soon found themselves at Ichiraku's ramen shop. Naruto naturally was scuffing the stuff down as fast as he could. Sasuke on the other hand ate his slowly savoring the favor and contemplating on some of the aspects of his Alchemistic circle. He was so close to completion of his technique it was almost maddening. He had the fire portion down but he just need calculations to complete it. If he could combine with the natural fire manipulation that was prominent in his clan, then he would create something unseen in this world.

Finishing up the last of his ramen he quietly snuck out of the booth while Iruka concentrated on the orphan boy. Walking in the streets of Konoha in the night he breathed a sigh of relief. It was perhaps a good thing that he'd perfected sneaking away from Iruka, he wasn't in the mood to discuss his ambitions to a man that didn't understand him. Sandaime was perhaps the closest he could come to a confidant in his life since he didn't have General Grumman or more importantly Hughes to talk to well except for…

"Figures you'd be running around in the middle of the night like a creep," a girl's voice commented. Sasuke smirked as he looked over to Tenten, who was walking up to his right side. "What is it this time?"

"I just wanted to think," Sasuke replied. "Is that a crime?"

"For everyone else? No, but for you it's a dangerous concept."

"You wound me," Sasuke said. "Truly you cut me to the quick."

"I try," Tenten smiled back before settling into companionably silence with him. Tenten was the closest thing that he could consider a peer. She'd been there for him when things had gotten rough for him and was perhaps one of the few that he could confide in.

"So how's the research going?"

"Well enough," Sasuke shrugged trying to cover up his frustration with his lack of progress. "I've almost go it."

"You'll figure it out," Tenten said. "I know you will, after all you helped me."

Yes, indeed he had. She was his first and so far only student in Alchemy. She'd shown a talent for it unlike many of his peers. So he'd taken it upon himself to teach her. She was an eager student and they'd spent many hours talking over aspects of Alchemy.

"Perhaps," he said. "It's just annoying."

"Give it time," Tenten advised. "Don't rush I'm sure you'll finally work it out."

"Keh," Sasuke snorted amused. "Don't tell me how to do my research woman."

"I'm not just woman," Tenten rebuffed a knowing twinkle in her eye. "I'm a ninja."

"True, but I will be soon."

"Sure you will," Tenten teased. "Come to me after you get your headband then we'll talk."

"Oh will get that headband you'll see and then I'll save you from the youthful advances of your teammate," Sasuke playfully shot back. It felt good talking to Tenten after that odious stint on the mountain. In fact, this talk was more beneficial to him than any lecture from Iruka could have given. Tenten understood his need for space, his research and perhaps more importantly she understood him. She was the closest he got to having a Hughes in this life. She'd stepped up after the massacre and had allowed him to be himself and in the process she'd become family to him. He knew that he'd fight for her and she for him.

Their laughter soon petered off and soon they were walking in no direction in particular just enjoying each other's company. All in all it was a good ending for an otherwise stressful day.