At first I was going to reward you guys with a small time-skip, since I know it's what everyone's probably the most anxious for…but a lot of people seemed so concerned about how Sakura was coping after her traumatic brush with her past, I thought I should address that first. The time-skip will be next chapter, I promise.
Sorry that was so long, but I just felt those things should be addressed before I could move on. Ok, now here we go~
Ch.4- An Uchiha Festival
Making up his mind to do something was easy. Turning up clues was the hard part. Yamanaka Inoichi promised his daughter he'd try to help her new friend but he was a private investigator, and this was something more geared toward a police detective.
There hadn't been many witnesses, and the few that there were, weren't much help. Two children had seen the bullies run by, but children being children, had become distracted by a passing butterfly and decided to give chase.
The other adults in the area were slightly better, but still not entirely sure they could help him confirm the identities of the boys. One woman had left just before the incident to pick up her child from a recital. The mother of the two children that chased the butterfly was preoccupied minding her own children when they ran off, and the third was apparently head-deep into some thriller/mystery novel and only looked up when she heard the shouts and saw them fleeing.
Another woman who'd been a bit harder to track down had told him she thought they came from a group home and would see them hanging around from time to time. "Mean-spirited children," she shook her head. "Always up to no good it seems."
When he'd asked he r to elaborate, she'd leaned in with a conspiratorial glint in her eyes. "All I can say is that if those boys bullied that little girl like you said I wouldn't be surprised. I've seen them chasing after stray dogs with fire sparklers and had to intervene on more than one occasion."
Thus did Inoichi's search for three juvenile boys in the foster system that matched the physical looks of the ones he'd seen flee, begin. Not that he expected that to be much easier just because he'd managed to locate a lead. There were at least a dozen or more orphanages that he knew of in the city and surrounding suburbs.
That didn't include the homes for troubled youths. Inoichi sat back at his office desk and massaged his forehead in weary anticipation for the job ahead. One look at the small picture of his smiling daughter set up in the corner and he knew he had to at least keep trying. Sakura was obviously someone's child. Someone's defenseless child. Not all little girls were as spunky and opinionated as Ino. Adults were meant to protect children, and that's what he'd do by finding this trio.
'Fugaku can say what he wants about getting my hopes up, but this has been good for Sakura.' Mikoto smiled as she silently watched Sakura interacting with her speech therapist. Shiranui Shizune. She was patient and always encouraged the timid girl. Even despite the regression caused by the park incident, with Shizune's lessons, Sakura was learning to sign and slowly building up her shattered self-esteem. Already, the differences she saw in Sakura were noticeable.
As she learned to sign more words, she saw her daughter practicing, clumsily at first but more assuredly with each passing day. Fugaku thought that Sakura was too damaged to ever achieve a level of normalcy needed to function independently one day, but Mikoto wasn't so sure. She was sure there was a bright, inquisitive mind lurking somewhere under all the pain. Evidenced by just how quickly Sakura was catching on to her signing.
"Now Sakura, can you sign 'boat' for me?" Shizune asked gently. Mikoto watched the little hands flickering briefly as she signed the word. The Uchiha woman smiled triumphantly, but remained watching from the doorway.
It was very important during this time that Sakura had routine. Routine equaled reassurance, according to her psychologist, Senju Tsunade. And they didn't get much more competent than the revered doctor who had won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work in internal medicine. Now she had switched to specializing in PTSD in children, luckily for the Uchiha's.
"Good," Shizune praised, "How about 'sky'?" Again Sakura's small hands moved in a short flicker.
The young woman nodded, "Alright, this one is a little trickier…I want you to sign 'family'."
Sakura paused, her hands lowering unsurely before she brought them back up and began moving through the characters with more attentiveness than before. Mikoto watched, feeling truly humbled and awed by the little girl. Shizune also seemed to be marveling as Sakura successfully completed her attempt. "You did beautifully, Sakura."
Shizune smiled, catching Mikoto's eyes. "You can come in now, Mikoto-san."
Mikoto ducked her head meekly when she realized she'd been caught, traipsing gracefully into the room and giving Sakura's shoulder a small squeeze. "Thank you so much Shizune-san…you work so well with her. After the…the incident, well my main concern was the amount of regression it could cause. I was a little worried you wouldn't have room in your schedule to work with Sakura more than you had been, but you really came through."
Shizune returned her flashcards, hand puppets and activity book back to her bag. She worked with a number of different children who had different learning styles, and always came prepared to make the sessions fun. Sakura had a special place in her heart already though. "I'm happy I was able to help." She returned politely. Shizune stood, bidding Sakura goodbye as Mikoto walked her to the door.
Sakura found that when she stood to offer the woman a shy hug, she didn't have to force herself. Shizune was genuinely nice and it wasn't as hard to trust her as it was to trust most new people. "I'd like you to keep practicing some of the signs we went over today, Sakura." The young woman instructed. "When I see you again, we'll be reviewing and I'd like to see you perfectly sign at least ten of our vocabulary words."
Sakura nodded in understanding and Shizune chuckled. They both knew Sakura was grasping the basics at a steady rate, but Shizune wanted to give her time to gain more confidence if that was what she needed.
When Mikoto came back, she found Sakura absently signing words at the kitchen table. Again she found herself watching silently. Mikoto couldn't recognize very many since she wasn't still a novice, but she was encouraged to see Sakura making an honest effort. She had the will to keep fighting to be heard. Maybe that was why when she'd first seen the girl curled into a ball at the orphanage, passively watching the others rush to greet the well-dressed visitors she had gravitated toward the pink-haired girl.
So many traumatic experiences had stolen her voice away, but Mikoto believed that with time, she could heal and blossom into the beautiful flower she was always meant to be. For now, until she was ready to reclaim her words, Mikoto wanted to give Sakura another method of communicating. Fugaku thought it didn't matter, that Sakura was too damaged to fix, but he'd see…
Namikaze Minato waited for the sound of footsteps to fade as the kids headed upstairs before accepting the cup of tea with a grateful nod. He looked tired as he took a sip and then looked up to meet her husband's stare. "I…I don't know what to say. Apologies can't express how guilty I feel. I turned my head for a second… only a second and when I looked back, all hell had broken loose. Please, understand that I'm completely in the wrong here, but…my son really likes your daughter. And even though he constantly fights with Sasuke, I know that friendship means a lot to him as well. I'd appreciate it if you could let Naruto keep playing with your children."
"What are you saying, Namikaze?" Fugaku huffed. "This whole incident was caused by your negligence and frankly, I'm not sure I want my children to associate with anyone in your family."
"Fugaku!" Mikoto said sternly. "Give him a chance to explain."
Minato's head bowed and he studied the contents of his cup before taking another long gulp, swallowing harshly. "Well, from what I know, local kids who may have known Sakura from before came and started bullying her in the sandbox. They were brutal and Inoichi believes they may have even had a vendetta."
"Yamanaka Inoichi?" Fugaku demanded. The man was a well-respected PI for a rival firm, but even Fugaku didn't argue with his success rate.
"Yes, he was there with his daughter. She came rushing to Sakura's defense first and was able to drive the bullies back. They ran when they saw us coming, and I only saw their backs. Three boys, wearing old looking clothes. I didn't see any adult with them, so they might have been by themselves."
Fugaku's jaw was tight. "You understand that the state Sakura was in before this incident was already delicate at best, she may be beyond recovering now if she ever had a chance to begin with. I hope you can understand that the therapy she'll need is not free. The ones truly responsible may be gone, but as the adult, I expect you bare some responsibility. So what can you offer besides sniveling and apologies?"
Minato had a resolved look in his blue eyes as he looked at his wife's close friend and her husband. "Of course we'll take on any responsibility incurred from th—"
"You'll do no such thing." Mikoto said quietly.
Minato looked at her in surprise and Fugaku gave his wife a hard stare. "Mikoto,"
"Fugaku, you said yourself Minato-san isn't to blame, and we have more than enough to cover Sakura's therapy expenses, however much they may be. My only concern is how this sets her back mentally and emotionally. She seemed to be starting to trust us, but now…I'm not sure how much this will affect her. But what I do know is Sakura needs the support and interaction of children her own age, who can accept her as she is now. If Naruto can be a friend to her, I'd very much like for them to continue to play. You could have never expected that what happened today would happen," she assured the blonde man, "And we'll handle finding the ones responsible."
It was Mikoto's turn to send her husband a firm look, and he grunted as if in reluctant acceptance.
Minato floundered for words to express his gratitude at the Uchiha matriarch's graciousness. She was far more reasonable a woman than he would have guessed. A perfect balance to his own wife's wild temper. Kushina would be on the war path if anyone threatened her child, or so much as uttered an unkind word in Naruto's direction. As it was, she'd probably scold him thoroughly when he got home once he explained what had happened.
"Thank you, Mikoto-san, Fugaku-san…for Naruto's sake, I'm very glad to hear it. And I promise that however I can be of assistance in finding those boys, I will be."
"We appreciate everything you did for Sakura, today." Mikoto bowed respectfully. "Remember, the blame for what happened doesn't lie with you. Only those horrible children. And Fugaku will find them." All the warmth and sympathy left Mikoto's eyes then, and Minato knew she wouldn't rest until those boys had been hunted down and dealt with to her satisfaction.
Minato offered the Uchiha police captain a small smile that wasn't returned. "I'll get Naruto; Kushina will be expecting us home soon."
As he slowly began to climb the stairs, Fugaku turned away from his wife with a dismissive huff, displeased he hadn't been able to control the situation the way he'd wanted to.
"You've invested far too much in that child, Mikoto. You'll be disappointed when you find that any healing that can be done for her has its limits."
Mikoto held her chin up defiantly. "A mother's job is to believe in her children Fugaku, even if all the odds are against them. I know I pushed adoption on you, and that Sakura isn't the kind of little girl you would have chosen, but she's ours now. I want her to look to us for safety and reassurance the same way our sons do."
Mikoto began ascending the stairs, knowing Minato may not be able to find the right room to collect his son.
"I didn't ask for a daughter." Fugaku mumbled as he stormed back to his home office.
Mikoto gave him a sharp glance from over her shoulder. "Yet you have one now. So start acting like it."
If only Fugaku could see the same brilliance in Sakura that she did. If only he realized that she wasn't a lost cause; Mikoto couldn't think of a better cause to fight for than the precious one sitting in front of her.
Sakura was now idly making shapes in the air, not signing but letting her little finger take whatever path it chose.
"Sakura-chan," she called softly. Sakura's head jerked but she calmed down when she realized it was only Mikoto. "It's almost time to pick up your brothers; would you like a snack before we go?"
Mikoto already had a good idea what the answer would be, but she waited for the hesitant nod before walking to the refrigerator and opening it with a sigh. "Now let's see…what do we have here? Hm…it looks like most of my fresh-picked tomatoes have mysteriously vanished," she chuckled. It didn't take much to guess the culprit. 'At least I never have to nag him about eating his veggies.' "So that means I can't make tomato risotto tonight like I'd planned…darn, and I really wanted to work on my Western cuisine. Oh well, it may not be as exciting but Japanese dishes are tried and true, aren't they?" Mikoto blushed lightly, realizing she was rambling out loud. Kushina's influence no doubt.
She turned to see Sakura watching her curiously, eyes glued to her. "Oopsie, kaa-chan was thinking out loud. But you're such a sweet girl to listen to me anyway," she smiled. "Now, I believe I promised you a snack…how about some onigiri? They're fast and simple."
Luckily, Sakura wasn't picky, so Mikoto knew that she'd eat just about anything put in front of her, with encouragement. As they waited on the rice she loaded into the rice cooker, she watched Sakura watch her.
"Hm? You really are a keen little girl." Inwardly Mikoto was crowing. 'Just like a true Uchiha to always be aware of her surroundings.'
It was quiet as Mikoto waited for her daughter to finish her snack, making sure she'd had at least one full rice ball and wiping the grains from her face before loading her into the family SUV.
Mikoto glanced at her daughter in the rearview mirror occasionally as she made the journey across town to Senju Gakuen. She waited patiently in the carpool line as students spilled out through the rot-iron gates of the inner courtyard, laughing, arguing, and chasing each other. She spotted her two boys and waved cheerfully. A laugh bubbled out of her as she saw the girl clinging to her younger son.
Sakura watched, somewhat surprised to see Sasuke trudging toward them with Ino latched onto his arm, gushing adoringly.
Sasuke's displeased rant drifted to them from Mikoto's open window. "Ino, let go of my arm! I have to go home!"
"Bye Sasuke-kun, see you tomorrow~!" Try as he might to squirm away, Sasuke couldn't avoid the kiss Ino placed on his cheek before skipping off to wait for her ride with the other unclaimed kids.
Sasuke scrubbed furiously at his pale cheek as he stomped to his side of the car and slammed the door. Itachi nodded at his friends and calmly climbed into the front seat.
"Ugh! Why won't she leave me alone?" Sasuke complained as they pulled away, barely noticing Sakura in his frustration. She smiled meekly, unsure if now would be a good time to seek his attention.
"Oh, hi Sakura." he sighed.
"Hello Sakura," Itachi greeted.
Sakura gave them her best happy smile, only straining the slightest bit. It was getting easier not to fake her emotions around the Uchiha's.
"So Sasuke, will I be marrying you off before Itachi?" Mikoto teased.
"Stop it, kaa-san! I don't like Ino; she just follows me around all the time."
"Well be nice, dear."
"Hmph!"
"Itachi, how was your day?"
"…Uneventful." he shrugged. "My Calculus teacher quit suddenly, so I taught the class."
"O-oh, that's strange. Wasn't that the second teacher you've had quit this year?"
"It was the third." he corrected. "They all quit sooner or later. My classmates see to that."
"I have a good mind to speak to that headmaster of yours. Even if you're in the advanced program, what good does it do if your classmates are so unruly they're constantly chasing away all the teachers?"
"Father pushed for me to be in the honor classes." Sakura got the feeling her brother wasn't exactly pleased about it. Sasuke had once told her that Itachi had less time to spend with him because of all the homework he got.
Mikoto sighed. "That he did…you were being considered for it because of your grades, anyway, but with how impatient Fugaku was in having you take the qualifying exam a year early and expedited the process, I doubt they'll let you back out easily. So just do your best and let's at least hope those troublemakers transfer."
Dinner at the Uchiha residence was far from easygoing. Mikoto watched everyone eat their okinomiyaki wordlessly. She and Fugaku hadn't really been lovey-dovey since their spat over Sakura, but she knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. And she didn't regret putting her foot down. She always had the last word when it came to her children and Fugaku would have to learn to accept it.
She wasn't worried about it creating some kind of irreversible damage in their relationship. She had learned long ago that Fugaku was hardly ever an agreeable man, and had married him knowing it'd take a good deal of work and patience. She loved him, the insufferable ass that he normally was.
Like clockwork, Fugaku sighed, stirred the contents of his meal around a few times, and then pushed his plate back altogether. "The station is hosting yet another ludicrous event in the name of creating a more relaxing work environment."
"Oh?" Mikoto didn't have to feign interest as she chewed on a sautéed mushroom from her plate.
"…It's," he closed his eyes with a long-suffering sigh, "An appreciation festival to celebrate the officers and staff. Everyone is going to bring their families, and a few other important sponsors are being invited. I suspect Namikaze and his spawn will be there, as well as his wife…that loquacious redheaded woman."
Mikoto gave her husband a firm look that clearly said "Play nice or else."
"At any rate, as the chief, I'm expected to make an appearance."
Mikoto nodded calmly. "We all will. This is a family gathering after all."
Fugaku scoffed around a mouthful of beef.
Sakura was…in awe. Every time she thought she had gotten used to the lavish life the Uchiha's had given her she was thrown for another wonderful loop. But this time, the excitement of the experience lay within the fact that it was a common enough one for a Japanese child to have, but this would be her first one. A real festival.
Complete with game stands, a parade, even getting to dress up in nice kimonos. Of course Mikoto had left her bangs untouched, but had done what she could to pin Sakura's short locks into a cute bun, even placing a decorative silver comb into her hair. They were a very well-groomed family waiting to enjoy the festival with their fine silk kimonos, the family crest proudly inscribed on everyone's clothes somewhere. Even Sakura had a small Uchiha fan on her kimono's collar. Her custom tailored kimono—red with white lotus blossoms patterning the fabric.
Itachi and Sasuke wore more subdued colors of black and navy respectively, both with the Uchiha fan proudly standing out in the back. Since their kimonos didn't have patterns the crest drew most of the attention.
Everywhere she looked, Sakura saw red and white fans on well-postured backs. The Uchiha clan in its entirety (as she guessed it was by the sheer volume) was a sight to behold. She had realized before, but there had to be over a hundred people there, all of them pale-skinned and dark-haired. All but her, who stood out like an miserably with bright pink locks. Her shoulders slumped in resignation that she would never fully fit into this family.
That was, until the sudden voice that broke her out of her sulking. "Yo!" Sakura turned, gasping when she saw the familiar faces coming their way.
"Shisui!" Sasuke greeted, running to meet their cousin halfway. He quickly got a hug from Yuu and a kind pat on the head from Kagami.
"'Sup squirt!" Bristling, Sasuke quickly backed away from his cousin with a scowl.
"This is why big brother's better. He doesn't pick on me."
Shisui faked a hurt look. "Aw don't be like that. Hey Itachi, lookin' good." Itachi gave his best friend one of his rare smiles.
"Nice to see you again Shisui."
"Hello Mikoto, Fugaku." Yuu quickly kissed the other woman's cheek before doing the same to Fugaku. Kagami gave Mikoto a warm hug and Fugaku a respectful nod, clapping his back good-naturedly.
Just as Sakura thought she'd been forgotten, everyone's attention was drawn to her. "Oh Sakura-chan! It's only been a few weeks but I've missed you!" Yuu gushed, hugging her.
"Sakura-chan!" Shisui grinned. "Just like I suspected; you're really cute all dressed up. Well, cuter than normal."
Sakura blushed the same shade as her hair and everyone laughed. "I agree Mikoto! You did a wonderful job dolling up Sakura-chan. Oh, you're making me want a little girl of my own to spoil." Yuu turned to her husband with pleading eyes, "Kagami-kun, do you think we could—"
"Yuu. Shisui is plenty." he sighed, shaking his head.
"Pops is right, Ma. What are the odds that lightning would strike twice, ya know?" Shisui turned to Sakura with a wink. "Why mess with perfection?"
Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and Sasuke scoffed.
Yuu pointedly ignored her son as she stroked Sakura's hair. "Oh well, I have you as a niece now, Sakura-chan, so I'll just have to put my efforts into spoiling you. Shisui's long outgrown the phase where I can pretend he's a girl and make him wear whatever I want anyway."
"Ouch Mom, I can still hear you, you know…" Shisui deflated.
" But now that we're all here, why don't we go through the festival together?" Mikoto clapped, leaning on Fugaku's arm like a smitten school girl. Even her grumpy husband had to loosen up on a night like this, right?
"Mikoto…"
"Aw, aren't we old enough to walk around a festival by ourselves yet?" Sasuke frowned, throws his arms up.
"You're six." Mikoto frowned. "And you could get lost."
"B-But I'll be seven soon! A-Anyway, Shisui and big brother can come with us, right?!" Sasuke looked up at the two older boys with pleading eyes.
Shisui pointed at himself incredulously. "How'd I get dragged into this? Geez, you're always so pushy…"
Sasuke's face turned up in a scowl as he put his hands on his hips. "Hey! Come on…if you don't, I'll tell everybody about that thing you didn't want anybody to know I fo—"
Shisui quickly clamped a hand over Sasuke's mouth, chuckling nervously. "Well, I don't mind if you don't…right, Itachi?"
Itachi shot him an amused look before shrugging.
Yuu smiled, "Have fun and look out for the younger ones, but remember to meet us back here in two hours."
Sasuke cheered, getting ready to dart off when Itachi swiftly grabbed his arm.
"But…!" Mikoto began to protest.
"Mikoto, it's fine. Shisui and Itachi have their phones. And this is being hosted and run by Uchiha, so it's unlikely they'll meet a stranger." Fugaku answered coolly.
"That's right. I'm sure the boys will be fine looking after the little ones." Kagami agreed. "Think of this as a test of responsibility for them. We'll have to start putting faith in them eventually. They'll be in charge of our future someday."
Mikoto sulked, still unhappy, but bowed her head in acquiesce. Yuu patted her arm comfortingly.
Sasuke beamed, hugged his mother, and pointing in the direction of the game booths. "Let's go!"
Itachi gave his mother a nod of reassurance and Shisui saluted as they both easily caught up to Sasuke, Sakura hot on their heels.
She was slightly nervous being in surrounded by so many people, b'ut by now she had enough trust in Shisui and Itachi that she knew no harm would come to her when they were around. Besides, it wasn't like she wasn't curious. There was a whole festival to explore!
"So, what are we gonna do first?" Sasuke asked, eyes sparkling in excitement. "Should we have snacks, or buy masks? Oh, or maybe we could try to catch some goldfi—"
"Oh, Sasuke-kun, is that you?!" a girlish voice yelled. The Uchiha boys and Sakura turned to see a blond girl waving, towing a man behind her as she eagerly dashed their way. Sakura gaped. It…it was her! The girl from the park! A timid smile worked its way across her face, pleasantly surprised to see her rescuer again.
"Or we could hide." Sasuke groaned. "What's Ino doing here?"
"Father likely invited Yamanaka-san as a show of good will." Itachi chuckled lightly. "The Yamanaka have produced a long line of brilliant detectives. The firm Inoichi-san works for has recently partnered with the Uchiha Group on several high-profile cases."
Shisui chuckled as Inoichi and his daughter stopped in front of them and Ino flung herself at Sasuke, giving him a tight squeeze around the neck. "It is you!" she sighed happily.
"Ino," Sasuke pushed her back by the shoulders. "Stop clinging."
"Aw," Ino pouted. "Why do you always have to be like this, Sasuke-kun? I was so happy when Daddy said your family invited us to their festival. I even got this special kimono, see?" Sakura smiled lightly as Ino twirled so they could see her purple kimono, covered with pink roses and tied with a lavender obi.
Shisui leaned down, whispering in Sasuke's ear. "Sasuke, you'll never stay popular being mean to all the girls. Why don't you tell Ino-chan she's cute?"
Sasuke glared at his cousin from over his shoulder. "Because kaa-san said lying is wrong."
Ino studied the Uchiha's curiously. She had seen Sasuke's older brother before, but not the other boy, and—she gasped when she noticed the bright pink head peeking out from behind Itachi, rushing over.
"Sakura-chan?!" Sakura almost stumbled as Ino suddenly hugged her. "Wow, I didn't think I'd see you here. Did your family get invited too?" the blonde let go, looking around as if she would spot people she could peg as Sakura's family.
"She came with us." Shisui smiled.
Ino tilted her head back to look at the older boy. "Eh?" Looking back at the timid girl in surprise. "How do you know Sasuke-kun's family?"
"Ino, remember what we talked about…it's not right to be nosey."
"But tou-san…I'm just curious 'cause Sakura-chan doesn't go to our school."
"Sakura's my sister, Ino." Sasuke grumbled.
Ino stared between Sakura and the three Uchiha, trying to process this new bit of information. "Whaaat? S-She's…but you guys…look nothing alike!" she exclaimed, pointing.
"Ino, don't point; it's impolite." Her father scolded lightly, pushing her finger down.
"She's adopted." Itachi clarified.
Ino shook her head clear. "W-wow! Sasuke-kun's sister." Suddenly, she clasped both of Sakura's hands, leaning in close until their noses almost touched. Sakura blushed lightly. "I knew it was a good idea for us to be friends! We can talk all about Sasuke-kun."
Shisui rubbed his neck sheepishly. "About that…talks with Sakura-chan on the matter of love, or anything, may be kind of one-sided."
"Why's that?" Ino asked. "Wait, come to think of it, I didn't hear you say anything last time we met either."
"That's because she can't talk." Sasuke huffed. "So don't be pushy."
Ino pouted at Sasuke's implications. But quickly turned to Sakura. Suddenly the pinkette was self-conscious. Maybe Ino didn't like her now. The weird girl who never spoke. It pretty much made her a bigger target than she already would've been at the orphanage.
"So…you really can't talk at all, huh?"
Inoichi put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Ino…"
"Hm…that just means you'll be a late bloomer though, right?" Everyone was surprised at Ino's large grin. Sakura most of all. "I bet one day, you'll bloom into the prettiest blossom of all, Sakura!"
Inoichi smiled in pride at his daughter.
" 'Til then, you just need to have more confidence!" the blonde continued, "SZtarting now. Let's go have some fun." She quickly linked arms with Sakura to drag her out from behind Itachi, before doing the same with a scowling Sasuke.
"Ino, where are you going?" Inoichi asked.
"To walk around the festival with Sakura and Sasuke-kun." she replied. Inoichi looked hesitant to let his daughter go off on her own, but Shisui quickly allieviated those fears with a warm smile.
"No worries, sir. We're already looking out for Sasuke and Sakura. Watching Ino-chan too shouldn't be too hard."
Inoichi sighed, seeing his daughter was going to get her way, yet again. At least these boys seemed responsible. "Are you sure? My daughter can be quite the handful."
"The more the merrier, right Itachi?" Shisui playfully nudged his cousin in the side.
Itachi watched as Ino dragged his siblings to a stand selling takoyaki. "She seems to be full of spirit. I think a friend like Ino would be good for Sakura." he said.
"Well if you're sure you don't mind…" Inoichi relented. "Please just try to have her back in two hours. I'll meet you in this area."
Itachi bowed to the blonde man respectfully, walking to catch up to the younger children. Shisui followed just as the woman running the stall was gushing over how sweet they were and hnding them an extra stick. "Thank you, auntie." Sasuke smiled, accepting both sticks. He passed one off to Ino absently and then turned to Sakura. "We'll share ok?" Sakura, being somewhat of a mousy eater, had no qualms with this.
The blonde blinked, frowning as she stared down at the skewered meat. "Aw but Sasuke-kun, I thought we could share."
Sasuke shrugged. "It's okay Ino; you can have that one to yourself. Sakura doesn't eat much anyway, so I'll split with her."
Ino glowered at the dark-haired boy, shoving a takoyaki into her mouth moodily. Sasuke calmly took one from his stick, blew it off and gave it to Sakura before eating one himself. He was either oblivious to Ino's irritation or didn't really care. Shisui would bet on the latter.
"Man, you'd think he'd get even a touch of the Uchiha charm. But your little bro's doomed to be lonely forever if he keeps that up." Shisui sighed.
Itachi tilted his head, watching Sakura nibble on the takoyaki. "Sasuke isn't a born ladies' man like you. He hasn't noticed girls at all yet."
Shisui eyed his cousin skeptically. "Wonder where he gets that from. You know, you've got a lot of girls looking at you too Itachi. Yet you give each and every one of them the cold shoulder. Just those empty, polite gestures. It's cruel, man, being nice to them out of obligation and letting them think there's hope is worse than cutting them off at the knees."
"I don't want any romantic advice from you." Itachi replied dismissively.
"Suit yourself." Shisui scoffed. "I'm just saying that—"
"Naruto, don't run with that mask on!"
The group looked up, Sasuke tensing up and the girls watching curiously at the shout. What were the odds?
A small blur of orange tore down the street, knocking into people as he went.
Apparently, very good.
Sakura watched a very familiar blond man chasing after him, apologizing to anyone his son might've offended. "Oh, e-excuse me, please."
"Naruto!" Sakura winced at the shrill scream of a red-haired woman who was stomping after the small blonde. People were actually clearing out of her way. There was…a very scary aura surrounding her, all aimed at Naruto.
Shisui chuckled. "Uh-oh, that's Kushina-san's Red Hot Habanero face."
Sakura scooted further behind Ino and Sasuke, cowering. "Hmph! Serves him right." Ino scoffed, arms folded.
Sasuke must have felt Sakura's fear, because he turned to give her a small grin. "Naruto's mom always gets like this when he does something stupid." Sakura wondered if that was supposed to make her relax.
She watched as the woman finally caught her son by the back of his collar, ripped the mask off and tossed it at Minato before laying into Naruto with a brutal tongue-lashing about being reckless. Minato watched quietly, scared to intervene on his son's behalf.
'Sorry Naruto, but even as your father, all I can offer you is my silent sympathy.'
The blonde wilted, "Sorry kaa-chan…I was just so excited."
The redheaded woman sighed, seeming to calm down as her eyes softened. "I know. You get it from me, like every other part of your personality, so I guess I shouldn't scold you too much. Just be more careful next time. You could've hurt someone, or yourself, ya know?"
Shisui gave a low whistle as they watched Kushina pat her son on the head with a gentle grin. "Scary, huh?"
Sasuke and Ino nodded in agreement. Itachi smiled down at Sakura. "Would you like to go and say hello?" She met Itachi's eyes, surprised he would allow her the choice. The last time she had seen Naruto, things had been…
"Eh? No way, is that you Sakura-chan?!" Sakura barely had time to react when the same whiskered blonde she'd just been thinking of came barreling into her, arms wrapped around her in a tight squeeze.
His parents followed more calmly, Minato chuckling at his son's enthusiasm. "Well, we meet again Sakura-chan, Sasuke. Hello, Ino." Sakura smiled back shyly, happy to see them again even if she didn't show it as boldly.
"Eh? Who's this?" the red-haired woman looked at the girl Naruto was bear hugging. Squinting at the top of her hair. Pink. Hmm… "No, don't tell me this is the Sakura-chan Naruto wouldn't stop going on about?"
Minato nodded. "The very same."
Sakura almost squealed when the woman picked her up in a hug just as fierce as Naruto's. "Ooh, it's so nice to meet you, Sakura-chan!" she gently put her back down, smiling kindly. "I've heard so much about you from Mikoto, and now Naruto, I was wondering when I'd meet you. I'm Kushina, Naruto's mom. Thank you so much for being my little knucklehead's friend. I hope he wasn't too much trouble. Oh, am I talking too fast for you? Sorry, I do that when I'm excited. I hope you don't think I'm totally nuts." Kushina laughed nervously, and Sakura couldn't believe the complete change from the woman she had just seen on the warpath to the talkative lady in front of her.
By this time the other kids had wondered over, and Kushina turned to greet them as well. "Oh, hello Itachi. It's been a while hasn't it. And Sasuke, are you taller?"
Sasuke's face scrunched. "Not any taller than I was two days ago. Naruto's just short." Itachi elbowed him, but Kushina laughed it off.
"Haha! Well, I keep telling him to eat his vegetables if he wants to grow, but nothing gets through that thick-head."
"Hey, kaa-chan…" Naruto whined.
Kushina ignored her son and continued speaking. "Oh, and Ino, you're here too? That's a very pretty yukata." Ino giggled, looking proud at the compliment.
Kushina cocked her head as she studied the last boy. Mussy dark hair and long eyelashes, along with those features that just screamed Uchiha. "Hm…Shisui, right?"
"We have a winner." he nodded. "It's good to see you again, Kushina-san."
Kushina beamed. "Same here. It's so nice of Mikoto and Fugaku to have invitied us, isn't it, Minato?" she linked arms with her husband, laying her head on his shoulder.
Minato managed a half smile, still thinking of the glare Fugaku had given him the last time he'd seen the man. "Y-yes."
"I'm especially glad I got to meet my son's first crush." Kushina leaned down until she was eye level with Sakura. The girl blushed to her roots. "I have to say Naruto has better tastes than I could've hoped for. He actually found a girl with hair as unique as his mom's!"
"Kaa-chan!" Naruto began tugging on Kushina's yukata sleeve, his cheeks bright red.
"Oh sorry, sorry! I'm doing it again." She apologized half-heartedly. "You probably want to go off and have fun with your friends now, right?"
Naruto looked up eagerly, nodding.
"Yosh! That'd be so—"
"Hold on!" Kushina's hand came up to silence him. "I have a few conditions. Stay with the group. Do not cause any more trouble—I know you, Naruto. There's nothing you can hide from the woman who gave birth to you, and remember nowhere will be safe if I hear you were bad. Check back with us in an hour. Listen to Itachi and Shisui, understand?"
Naruto nodded obediently. "Y-Yes…" It was honestly all he could do not to tear off down the street with Sakura. He was so excited he got to spend time with her…she was so cute, standing there in her yukata...he never thought he'd notice girls. He'd thought they were all bossy and loud, like Ino. But Sakura was really special. It was kind of annoying Sasuke was with her (not to mention Ino), but he guessed he'd let it slide since she was his sister and all.
"I leave him in your capable hands, Itachi. Please feel free to smack him as you see fit if he misbehaves." Kushina gave the boy a sweet smile, and he nodded dutifully, gathering the children and herding them in the direction of some of the game booths.
Somehow, he'd ended up with quite the herd. "All aboard Itachi's baby-sitting service." Shisui cackled as they led the troop of kids through the stalls.
"Oddly, you're the biggest one I have to look out for." Itachi smirked. Shisui instantly deflated.
Minato and Kushina watched Naruto chatting away to Sakura, Ino and Sasuke looking annoyed that he was taking all of her attention. "I'm so happy Naruto is finally fitting in."
Minato squeezed his wife's hand. She looked on the verge of tears. "I was worried."
"I know." He gave her the bright grin she'd come to love. "But I have a feeling that as long as he has friends like that, we have nothing to worry about."
Kushina brightened, "Sakura is so adorable! Shy, but adorable. Can she really not—"
Minato shook his head sadly.
Kushina's shoulders slumped, but a smile wormed its away across her lips. "Funny. Our loudmouth would pick someone like her to latch onto."
"I think they complement each other well." Minato replied.
Kushina grabbed his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. "I agree. Kinda like us,"
Sorry if this chapter feels lacking in places…honestly I was just anxious to get it out and I was running out of steam and felt like it was starting to drag so I had to end it somewhere because this chapter was already over 18 pages on word and I have a lot of things planned for Sakura and co next chapter~ (Yes, Naruto has a crush on Sakura at this point—a typical puppy crush—yes, Minato and Kushina seem to be rooting for them, but right now they're mostly just glad Naruto has friends and commenting on their predicitions for the future. They can tell Sakura will be a special lifelong friend for Naruto and vice-versa. Yes, Kushina is happy he has a crush, but mainly they see them as being a good match as friends. I wanted to include the NaruSaku dynamic in some way, but this still isn't NaruSaku).
Okay. I feel like I laid the groundwork and am now comfortable with a gradual time skip happening next chapter~ Yay! But it'll only be a few months most likely. Ah well. It'll gradually increase after the major events of Part II happen and then we will see everyone aging by a few years at a time between chapters until Part II starts. I initially thought I'd start part two exactly ten years after Sakura comes into the Uchiha's lives, but I've been thinking and may make her 17 instead. 15 is still kinda young for the smutty stuff that will eventually go down in Part II and I'm a little bit old-fashioned so, eh. 17 is only two years but that can make a huge difference. I'm sooo excited to write Sakura & the boys as older versions of themselves. Heh heh~
Oh, and yes, yes I did hint that Shizune is married to Genma Shiranui. She needed a last name and I don't know why but I always shipped them. They're a young couple who were high school sweethearts. ^.^
P.S. I kind of hinted at it, but yeah, if you've guessed who Itachi's troublemaking yet gifted classmates are, you've probably guessed right. And Senju Gakuen goes from elementary to high school (as far as I know :P) but Itachi and Sasuke have classes in different buildings. Because the school is broken up like that. It's really more of a large campus.
