Sasuke wakes up to the smell of baking bread and hesitates to open his eyes. He had a weird dream last night and he wants to remember because it was kind of pleasant but irritating at the same time.
A boy, named Naruto of all things, had saved him. Sasuke scoffs internally at his own ridiculousness as he cracks open an eye to slowly adjust to the abundant sunlight spilling through the window.
Wait, where am I? Sasuke doesn't recognize the room and as he gradually wakes up, his shoulder aches dully. …So it wasn't a dream?
He sits up carefully and peers at the bandages curiously. They seem to have been changed again and the wound appears to be recovering. Although, Sasuke's pretty clueless when it comes to battle injuries since this is his first serious mission and he'd never paid enough attention to the classes on kaido at the Academy. That had always been Sakura's specialty. So, he really has no idea, but it doesn't hurt much, so he leaves it be.
Sasuke pulls the soft grey blanket off and slides down the side of the bed. The thin white cloth of his remaining uniform is a sharp reminder of last night's events. He feels a little stressed and harried with all the problems he's managed to accumulate in the first day of his mission.
Sasuke closes his eyes and performs a breathing exercise his captain had once taught him. Counting his breaths slowly, he ends with a final exhale and boxes his problems away for the time being.
The room he's in is large and has several short stools closely arranged around the two other beds. Sasuke takes in the numerous cabinets and neatly arranged medical supplies idly. Naruto did mention something about a clinic. He thinks he likes this place. It's different from the hospital in the 4th Division which always seems too white and sterile. This little clinic is cheerfully lined with translucent yellow and green curtains with numerous potted plants filling every available corner. Others dangle from the ceiling and trail their long limbs downward. Despite being in a foreign place far away from home, Sasuke feels at ease and peaceful.
A pair of orange slippers, with little frog patterns, has been laid out next to his bed, so Sasuke slips them on and pads softly to the source of the scent wafting in the air. His stomach growls unhappily.
Sasuke reaches a flight of stairs and ponders for a minute if it would be impolite to intrude. But, his stomach protests insistently, so Sasuke starts to climb up.
The moment he reaches the top of the stairs, he is nearly run over by a yellow blur. Sasuke whips his head around and grasps the handrail to avoid falling over.
"Sasuke! You woke up! How are feeling? Did you sleep well?" Naruto has a toothbrush in one hand and what appears to be a slightly wrinkled tie in his other.
Sasuke swallows twice before responding since his first attempt sounds more like croak than proper speech. "I'm fine." Then, pausing for a minute he realizes he has yet to thank Naruto for treating his shoulder. "I-, uh, thanks for-"
"Yeah, no problem! Listen, I gotta run to school, but I'll see you again once I'm out, okay? Go ahead and eat anything you want in the fridge and you can wear some of my clothes if you want. Also, the shower's over here if you want to use it." And with that, Naruto is flying out the door leaving Sasuke to stare blankly after him.
Sasuke wanders around the second floor of Naruto's house until he finds Naruto's room. He did say Sasuke could borrow some of his clothes, so Sasuke decides to take him up on that offer. Naruto's room is messy and there is a round cactus on the windowsill. The walls are covered with posters of things Sasuke does not recognize and clothes are strewn all over the floor. His desk is covered with papers and a few pencils have rolled off onto the floor. Sasuke heads straight to the closet and pulls out the first black-colored material he can find. Then, he rummages around for some pants and resolves to go shopping for his own clothes soon.
Once he is dressed, Sasuke meanders over to the kitchen. He blinks in confusion as he sees a familiar blond head puttering about.
As the figure turns around, Sasuke realizes this must be Naruto's father. "Oh, Sasuke-kun, you woke up. I'm Naruto's dad. Please call me Minato." He smiles and Sasuke wracks his brain. Something about Minato-san seems vaguely familiar, but-
"Please sit down, I've made some eggs. Help yourself to the bread. Do you prefer milk or juice? Or would you like some coffee?"
Sasuke bows slightly, "Thank you for your hospitality. Juice is fine."
Minato brings a glass over and unties his apron. "I'll be working downstairs in the clinic, so let me know if you need anything, okay?" He waves and disappears down the stairs.
Sasuke sits down and mutters a soft, "Itadakimasu," even though no one is there to hear his thanks for the meal.
He discovers that Minato-san is an impressively skilled baker and helps himself to another slice of delicious toast. As he chews, Sasuke thinks over his plans for the day. With his diminished powers, he won't be able to fend off Hollows easily. For his own protection and convenience, he should obtain a gigai to blend in with other humans.
Before he'd left Soul Society, Nii-san had left him an address to go to in case he ran into any trouble. Sasuke had felt exasperated by his brother's mother-henning tendencies, but it seemed he might really need some help with his current situation.
Sasuke finishes his breakfast and scans the kitchen for some way to clean his dishes. Naruto and Minato-san were certainly nice people, and Sasuke feels the need to repay them somehow by not being too much of a burden. He doesn't know how long he'll need to stay here, and he has no idea what to do about his mission.
He tidies up the area decently and heads down the stairs to find the address Itachi had left for him. Sasuke pokes his head into the clinic and finds Minato typing records on a computer. He doesn't know if Naruto told his father about Sasuke's identity, so he decides to be as vague as possible.
"Minato-san, I'm going out for a walk around the area." Sasuke announces bluntly.
"Oh, of course! Be safe, okay?" Minato smiles and returns to his typing.
Sasuke responds with his typical, "hn," and walks off.
Sasuke picks out a pair of white sneakers which feel surprisingly comfortable, if only a little big, and heads out eagerly.
It's only as he's walked a few minutes away from the house that he realizes Minato-san, despite being a human, could see him. Sasuke doesn't get how both of them can see a Shinigami without a gigai, but at this point so many strange things have happened that he doesn't want to waste any more energy thinking about this. He decides to shelve it away as some trait shared by father and son.
Sasuke is stationed in Konoha, a small town with a handy grid-system including streets organized at right-angles. He quickly gets used to the street signs and is able to locate the little shop named "Hatake Shoten" without too much difficulty.
The outside of the store appears to be a candy shop and Sasuke briefly wonders if he has come to the right place. Then, a man dressed all in black with a shock of messy greyish white haircomes over to slouch over the counter. He wears a headband over one eye and a mask covers the rest of his face from below his other eye.
Sasuke is a little suspicious and on-edge. He doesn't know why this man has 80% of his face hidden, but he gives off an overly relaxed vibe. Sasuke doesn't feel any spiritual pressure from this man, which either means he's a mere human, or he's strong enough to erase his presence completely.
The man's single visible eye crinkles, "Welcome! I'm Hatake Kakashi, the owner of this humble little shop. Is there anything I can help you find?"
Sasuke steps further inside and decides he must be in the right place after all. "Yes, I am the new Shinigami assigned to this area. I need a gigai as soon as possible."
The man nods and pulls out a few sheets on a clipboard. "Then you've come to the right person! Please fill out this request form and include any modifications you would like to make to the appearance. I will take your measurements and we should be able to complete your order in a few hours." He motions with the tape measure and Sasuke takes the hint to step closer.
The man hums as he swiftly clicks the tape measure back and forth. Sasuke idly looks around the rest of the shop as he waits. The shelves are stocked with strange products seemingly tailored for those with spiritual awareness. Sasuke wonders if this shop even has a large enough clientele for all the goods stocked throughout the shop. Some of them appear to be ridiculous, while others seem like they could be potentially useful. Sasuke spots a yellow duck keychain that Sakura might like. He picks up one and ponders if he should buy a few souvenirs, maybe one for his mother and Itachi too.
Only, Sasuke realizes his mistake too late, and now the shopkeeper is pitching him sales so quickly, Sasuke feels his head pound.
"Maa, esteemed customer, it seems you have a sharp pair of eyes! This handy Zetaborutan is filled with electromagnetic restraining beads. Simply throw one and instantly escape when attacked by Hollows! Might I also recommend Katakoran Alpha; the perfect anti-spirit spray for fending off possessive spirits. Or perhaps you might fancy Katakoran Theta which has all of the benefits of Alpha for nearly the same price, but including a healthy dose of vitamin C with each spray? Or, for times when you don't want a spirit following you, such as the when using the bath or toilet, simply rely on Sekirei X-"
Sasuke quickly shakes his head, thinking he might very well end up penniless if he stays here too long. "I only need a gigai, Hatake-san. Will it be ready in the afternoon to pick up?"
The shopkeeper's eye squints into the strange eye-crinkle again, and Sasuke absently dubs it as the "eye-smile" in his head. "Why of course! Please, call me Kakashi. I hope we can build a long-lasting relationship."
Sasuke nods because he'll continue to be stationed in Konoha until the next newbie Shinigami in need of training comes along. This shopkeeper seems resourceful and Sasuke has a feeling he shouldn't get on the wrong side of him. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Sasuke dips his head and Kakashi does the same.
"Well then, Sasuke-kun, I'll get started on your order. I'll see you in a few hours!" Kakashi slips into the back of the store and Sasuke takes this as a chance to hurry and leave before he gets talked into buying anything else.
As he walks away from the shop, he hears Kakashi laugh along with another person. "Come on, Obito! Help me get some supplies for a new order? I'll get lost on the road of life again if you leave me alone."
Hi,
Thank you for reading this new chapter! I think I might have written Sasuke a little out of character in this section. He's a little too polite isn't he? Although, I think if he grew up differently, his character would change slightly, but I'll try to keep him in character a bit more in later chapters.
Anyway, let me know if you have any suggestions for ways to improve my writing! :)
- DreadnoughtAqF
