Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto...
Query Post:
-Glad you all seem to like Itachi. I've always thought he was kind of flat in the canon since he always came off as emotionless and stoic and distant for the most part. In this fic, he's still nine even if he is a genius and is more mature than others in his age group, so I've given him a bit of a mischievous streak, and being socially awkward what with not having friends, his friendship with Sakura will be a trial for both of them.
Chapter Summary: In which Shisui irritates the hell out of Itachi, the Council doesn't know what to make of Uchiha Fugaku, Sakura is invited to an interesting dinner, and the Academy proves to be a place that induces homicidal thoughts.
Chapter 4 – Friendship
"How is my favourite cousin this fine bright morning?"
Shisui grins when Itachi twitches like he's about to fall out of the tree he is perched in but catches himself just in time. His little cousin may be a genius but Shisui isn't known for his Shunshin for nothing. He takes pride in the fact that he can still surprise Itachi on a regular basis.
"Shisui," Itachi acknowledges curtly but, as usual, makes no attempt to start a conversation.
Actually, on closer observation, Shisui wonders why his cousin seems a little tense at the moment. And now that he thinks about it, what in the name of Konoha is Itachi doing in a tree in the civilian sector at seven in the morning?
"Itachi, what are you doing?" Naturally curious, Shisui studies his cousin closely before glancing around. He has always been an early riser, much like Itachi in that respect, and was on his way to get some dango when he picked up his cousin's chakra signal.
Letting his senses probe his surroundings, Shisui finds his attention drawn to the neat-looking house several feet away. He looks back at Itachi again and finds the younger Uchiha's gaze fixed determinedly in the opposite direction.
Well, Itachi is practically shouting for Shisui to investigate.
Clambering easily up to the branch Itachi is crouching on, Shisui peers at the normal house again and blinks when he finds himself with a clear view of the backyard. And a...
"Itachi," Shisui turns to gape at his cousin as a horrifying thought snakes into his mind. "Are you stalking little girls now?"
Itachi's head snaps around and he glares irritably at Shisui without ever shifting his expression. "I am not stalking anyone. What I do in my own time is none of your business."
Shisui stares at Itachi for few seconds longer as he tries to figure out what the hell is going on here. He hasn't seen his cousin for several months now having only returned yesterday from a mission to Kumo - and after the whole Hyuuga disaster, isn't that just a picnic - but he recalls that Itachi is usually training at this time. Unless he has a mission, Itachi is almost always training.
So what's changed?
Carefully, Shisui focuses on the pink-haired girl doing katas in the yard again. She can only be five at most and a civilian child to boot; why is Itachi so interested in her? Looking closer, he notes the smooth, practiced movements of the exercises she is going through. She's quite good.
"She's pretty good for a kid," He comments out loud. "Who is she?"
Itachi glowers at him, clearly unhappy that Shisui is cutting in on his... whatever this is, but he answers after Shisui maintains an expectant look on his face. "Haruno Sakura. She's Sasuke's friend."
Shisui's eyebrows shoot up briefly in surprise. "Oh? Sasuke-chan's made a new friend? And a girl at that," He grins again. "You're little brother's got more moves than you do, Itachi."
Itachi almost frowns but retains a blank look while still somehow conveying his displeasure. One day, Shisui really would like to find out how he does it.
"So, what, you're here to see if she's a danger to Sasuke?" Shisui can't help snickering. "C'mon Itachi, what is she gonna do? Fangirl him to death?"
Itachi just gives him a deadpan look that unmistakably questions Shisui's brain capacity. But he doesn't look as annoyed anymore; in fact, his cousin looks almost amused.
Shisui gets the feeling that he is missing something.
He looks back at the girl again. She's really nothing special; above average for a civilian but he's seen shinobi children go through katas like that every day.
Except...
He hasn't completely hidden his chakra signal like Itachi has, only muted it, and when he shifts and rises so he can sit on the branch above, he catches a set of green eyes flicker in his direction for half a second and knows he, at least, has been spotted.
That is definitely not normal. He may not have concealed himself entirely but children from ninja families twice her age shouldn't be able to sense him.
"She is entering the Academy in a few weeks," Itachi speaks up and Shisui almost keels over from the shock. He can't ever recall a time when his cousin has offered information without prompting when it isn't for a mission. "She will be represented by the Uchiha Clan."
Shisui's eyes widen and he studies the girl more intently. To be represented by their clan, she would have to gain the approval of their Clan Head. Holding a successful conversation with Itachi when he is at his moodiest is easier than impressing Uchiha Fugaku. Shisui can attest to this; he's tried it.
"She must be something else then," Shisui remarks. "What did she do?"
There is a definite smirk on Itachi's face now. Obviously, he is quite smug about knowing something that Shisui is still in the dark about. Shisui doesn't know what to make of this either. Itachi usually doesn't care about one-upping him.
"She saved Sasuke from a possible abduction," Itachi tells him. "She defeated an Iwa missing-nin in the process."
Shisui stares between Itachi and the child in disbelief. "Wait, a little pink-haired girl took down a missing-nin? An Iwa missing-nin? Those guys are hardcore I-eat-children-for-breakfast psychos!"
Itachi gives him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "Nevertheless," His cousin intones, finally turning back to the girl. "She succeeded. She also convinced Otou-sama to enroll Uzumaki Naruto as well, and Sasuke went to father last night and convinced him to admit him too."
Shisui doesn't know what stuns him more; the fact that this girl has somehow manipulated their Clan Head into doing what she wants or the fact that this is the most Itachi has ever said to him at any one time.
He decides to ignore the latter and stick to the former.
"She doesn't have blackmail on our esteemed leader, does she?" Shisui pays no attention the dark look Itachi shoots him.
"She made several good points to Otou-sama," Itachi says stiffly.
Shisui rolls his eyes. "Lighten up, Itachi. I was joking. What about the Uzumaki brat?"
"He is also Sasuke's friend," Itachi informs him curtly.
Huh, back to short answers again. Ah well, Shisui couldn't really expect Itachi to become a chatterbox. That would probably just give everyone heart attacks.
"Well," Shisui stands, dusting his pants off. "I'll leave you to your stalking in peace."
Itachi looks torn between irritation and alarm. "I am not stalking," He intones flatly. "And where are you going?"
"Aw, do you want me to stick around that much, Tachi-chan?" Shisui coos, grinning at the lethal glare Itachi shoots him. "Don't worry; I'm not going far. But you've gone and stirred up my curiosity. I can't just sit around anymore, can I?"
And before Itachi can stop him, Shisui leaps to the ground and Shunshins into the pink-haired girl's yard.
He can almost feel Itachi's desire to strangle him.
~T~
Sakura doesn't know what to think when she senses a foreign chakra signal in a nearby tree. She has seen pictures of Uchiha Shisui before so she knows him on sight, and Sasuke has told her once that his older cousin is as un-Uchiha-like as they come.
Still, she does not expect Shisui to Shunshin into her yard and bound right up to her with a grin and a good-natured greeting.
"Heya!" Shisui drops into a crouch right in front of her and Sakura doesn't know whether to run away or stick the crazy teen with a kunai. She settles on staring warily at him instead.
"I'm Shisui," The teen continues. "I hear you're being represented by the Uchiha Clan; that practically makes us family! Nice to meet you!"
Sakura stares at Shisui and tries to see the Uchiha in him. Except for the looks, she finds this impossible.
"I'm Sakura," She mumbles, backing away a little from the teen's proximity. If she doesn't have so much practice dealing with Naruto and Kiba, she would've taken insult and fled the moment Shisui landed in her yard.
"Yeah, I heard," Shisui says with good humour and Sakura flushes a little. Duh, he has already said as much.
She casts around for something else to say and grasps onto what little information she has on him. "You're Shunshin no Shisui?" She ventures.
Shisui nods, eyes brightening. "That's me. Fastest in the entire Uchiha Clan. Pretty cool, huh?"
Ah, there was the famous Uchiha arrogance, but it was tempered with the teen's natural friendliness and Sakura finds herself smiling back despite his uncharacteristic personality.
"I can do Shunshin too," She says instead.
Shisui blinks, obviously surprised. "Oh? Care to show me then?" He points to the other end of the yard. "There and back. Let's see how fast you are."
Sakura can't help but be pleased that there is no disbelief in Shisui's voice. He could of course have already heard of her Shunshin when she saved Sasuke but most people would still harbour some doubts if they did not actually see it. And she still remembers Sasuke's harsh critiques so it is something of a surprise to meet a Uchiha who doesn't sneer first and ask questions never.
Forming a Ram seal, she flickers away, barely letting her feet settle on the ground at the far end of her garden before she flashes back again. She can feel the drain on her chakra but ignores it in favour of blinking up at Shisui, mildly winded but a lot better than when she first started practicing the technique.
Shisui has broken out into an even wider grin and he ruffles her hair with enthusiasm. "That was awesome, Chibi-chan!"
Sakura can stand a lot of things; she has had to what with being Naruto's friend and medic, but she is not going to stand for anyone calling her Chibi-chan.
"Don't call me that," She scowls up at the teen, swatting at the hand.
To her surprise, Shisui only chuckles, looking highly amused. "You know, you remind me of Tachi-chan."
Her brain stalls. Tachi-chan?
She wonders if Shisui has ever called Itachi 'Tachi-chan' to his face, and then wonders why the teen is still alive because of course Shisui has. The older Uchiha seems just like Naruto personality-wise.
"You can just call me Sakura," Sakura suggests with a glower.
"Alright, Kura-chan," Shisui says cheerfully.
Sakura twitches. Did this idiot have selective hearing? Besides, no one but Inner calls her Kura-chan.
"You'll get faster as your chakra reserves grow," Shisui takes no notice of her annoyance. "Maybe you'll even be as fast as me someday."
With that said, he flashes out of sight and Sakura's eyes widen as she tries to follow his speed. Before she can even focus on the teen at the far end of the yard, he is back again, standing beside her with a proud smirk.
"How's that, Kura-chan?" Shisui flops to the ground not without grace. "Think you can beat that one day?"
Sakura can tell him right now that even at twenty-six, she thinks she can only match that speed and Shisui is only thirteen at the moment. In her timeline, she is certain even Itachi in his twenties is only slightly faster than Shisui is now.
But it isn't like her to say she can't and she crosses her arms stubbornly and tells him, "I'll beat that speed and then you'll have to lose the nickname!" She huffs at the smirk on his face. "Just you wait; I'll be much faster when I grow up!"
"That's the spirit!" Shisui ruffles her hair again and Sakura doesn't bother ducking out of the way. She can tell this will become a habit the Shunshin expert isn't going to drop anytime soon. "But don't think I'll make it easy for you. You're gonna have to work your a- butt off."
Sakura snickers inwardly at Shisui's slip. He is as far from the typical Uchiha as possible and she can't say she minds.
"Anyway, I was on my way to get some dango," Shisui continues, getting to his feet again. "Wanna come with me? My treat, in celebration of the Uchiha Clan gaining a new family member."
Sakura almost rolls her eyes. She isn't really a family member just because she has the Uchiha Clan's backing. She remembers reading about the other handful of shinobi the Uchihas have taken on over the years though and knows they all went on to marry one member or another so at least she knows why Shisui seems to have all but inducted her into his clan. Still, Sakura isn't planning on marrying anybody anytime soon.
But the dango sounds nice and she doesn't even have to pay so she nods and scampers inside to leave a note for her parents. They know she is preparing for the Academy so they have told her to simply leave a note if she needs to leave early or stay late to practice.
As she rejoins Shisui out front, Sakura thinks she senses a flare of killer intent for just a millisecond from the tree Shisui was perching on earlier but when she turns to look, there is no one there.
Beside her, for some unknown reason that he doesn't divulge even after Sakura asks, Shisui laughs.
~E~
When Itachi closes the front door with an audible snap, Mikoto immediately knows he is annoyed. Her eldest son typically makes as little sound as possible.
"Did you not have enough time to finish training, Itachi-kun?" She asks as he steps inside the kitchen.
Itachi shakes his head but doesn't say more than that right away, busying himself with getting a glass of water. Mikoto doesn't mind; she knows her son is only gathering his thoughts and not being impolite.
Several minutes later, Itachi asks abruptly, "Why do people like Shisui so much?"
Mikoto can't help but stare. Of all the things she is waiting to hear, it is not that.
Itachi must have caught the perplexity in her expression because he clarifies, a strain of annoyance leaking into his voice as he sits down at the dinner table. "He has no respect for personal space and he does not even act like a Uchiha. He says what he wants and he calls people by ridiculous monikers without asking for permission."
Mikoto blinks. Is her son...
"Itachi-kun," She starts gently, moving to take a seat at the table as well. "You have never had any particular problems with Shisui-kun's personality. What brought this on?"
Itachi actually fidgets a little and Mikoto starts getting worried. Did Shisui cross a line in his interactions with Itachi? She has never worried because she thought her stoic son could use some affection from someone other than herself but perhaps Shisui has finally somehow insulted Itachi with his teasing and her admittedly introverted son didn't understand it was only that?
When Itachi does not say anything more, Mikoto enquires tentatively, "Did something he say come out as an insult? I'm sure Shisui-kun didn't mean it. What did he say?"
Itachi frowns. "He said he has the fastest Shunshin in the Uchiha Clan and it would be hard to surpass him in that area."
Mikoto frowns in utter confusion. Itachi has never minded that fact, especially since it is the truth.
"Then he took her out for dango," Itachi adds, his hands tightening around his glass of water.
...Her?
"'Her', Itachi-kun?" Mikoto asks cautiously. "He was talking to someone else?"
Itachi nods. "Of course. I would not care if he said that to me."
Mikoto picks her next words carefully. "But you cared when he said it to the... girl?"
Could it be?
Itachi nods again, his frown deepening. "He interrupted her training and he was rude even when he introduced himself but she didn't seem to mind."
"And this is a bad thing?" Mikoto asks slowly, trying to contain her rising glee.
Was Itachi taking an interest in something other than training?
Itachi nods a third time before tacking on with just the slightest hint of resentment, "She was impressed with his speed."
Mikoto tries very hard not to smile. "Well, Shisui-kun is very fast. I'm sure anyone who hasn't seen him use the Shunshin would be."
Itachi's mouth twitched downward. "... He called her 'Kura-chan' even though she told him to call her by her real name."
Apparently, her son is not happy that she doesn't seem very sympathetic to his plight and is trying to point out all of his cousin's faults.
... Wait.
"'Kura-chan'?" Mikoto's voice comes out more shocked than she planned and she straightens unconsciously.
Clearly believing that his mother has finally caught on, Itachi demands, "He obviously shouldn't if she doesn't want him to, right? So why did she agree when he asked her out for dango?"
Mikoto is still stuck on the nickname. "Itachi-kun, are we talking about Sakura-chan right now?"
Itachi gives her a rare impatient look as if he expects his mother to be telepathic and just know. She is clearly being slow on purpose.
Mikoto really wants to laugh.
"Itachi-kun," Mikoto can't help smiling. "I'm sure Shisui-kun only wanted to make Sakura-chan feel more welcome. After all, she will have more interactions with our clan now that we are representing her."
"... He called her 'Kura-chan'!" There is indignation in her son's voice as he repeats himself, and for once, he seems to forget to speak with the typical Uchiha aloofness. "Like they're friends even though they just met!"
"Shisui-kun is just being friendly, Itachi-kun," Mikoto explains. "Doesn't he call you 'Tachi-chan'?"
Itachi immediately scowls. "I do not like it, but Shisui is my cousin. We grew up together."
"And Shisui-kun wants to be Sakura-chan's friend so he gave her a nickname," Mikoto says firmly but not unkindly. Her emotionally distant son is finally showing interest in something normal and she doesn't want to discourage it. "I'm sure she would let you as well."
Itachi is silent for a long moment, and even though the only sign of his irritation is the frown on his face, Mikoto knows he is stewing inside.
"... I met her first," Itachi finally tells her quietly but there is a sliver of hurt in his voice.
Mikoto doesn't know whether to laugh or hug her son. She chooses the latter and makes a mental note to thank Sakura at a later date when she feels him hug her back. It has been a long time since Itachi has felt the need for affection from her, and she is glad it is for something as simple as this.
Her eldest child is a prodigy but most forget he is also only nine years old. While he can wield weapons and complete high-level missions without fail, he is also very deprived of the social interactions most children his age experience. Mikoto has always hated the fact that Itachi has never learned how to play or make friends or even just relax.
"Itachi-kun," She says when he pulls away. "If you want to be friends with Sakura-chan as well, all you have to do is talk to her. It doesn't have to be about anything specific; Sakura-chan will understand." She pauses, and then adds, "And Shisui-kun can be friends with her if he wants. After all, Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun are also her friends, aren't they?"
Itachi scowls just a little but nods in a resigned manner before downing the rest of his water. A thought seems to occur to him as he stands up to leave.
"She said she would get me to talk," Itachi mutters almost to himself. "That means she will have to talk to me."
And with a sharp nod of satisfaction, he retreats to his room, leaving a bewildered Mikoto in his wake.
Later, when Sasuke descends the stairs and catches his mother laughing to herself, Mikoto has to give the impression that she has simply been thinking of something funny before starting on Sasuke's breakfast.
Itachi's predicament isn't really humorous but Mikoto just can't help herself. Her son is finally acting his age and it is quite amusing to watch.
~M~
Fugaku has spent all day in the Council room fielding questions and pushing two children's – one of them being the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki – enrollment into the Academy. Suffice to say, he is in a rather foul mood by the time he comes home so he doesn't find it particularly fair when his wife comes to greet him with unusually good cheer.
"Something good happen today?" Fugaku asks as he sits down wearily at the dinner table. It is late and his sons are already in bed.
Mikoto hmms an affirmative as she places his dinner in front of him. "Itachi-kun had a slight falling out with Shisui-kun today but I think it is for the best," An almost demonic glint appears in her eyes and Fugaku watches her somewhat warily.
"They're fighting over a girl," Mikoto tells him cheerfully. "Sakura-chan to be exact."
Fugaku wonders if the day-long Council meeting has affected his mental faculties. He wouldn't be surprised if it did.
"Sakura-san is five, dear," Fugaku points out wryly. "And Itachi is nine. She's too young for anyone to be fighting over and our son's too young to be doing the fighting."
"Well of course," She agrees. "It's just friendly rivalry between children. Shisui-kun is only thirteen after all. But it's good for Itachi-kun. He needs to learn how to socialize."
Fugaku grunts and doesn't say anything to dispute this. His wife has always been adamant on this aspect of Itachi's life. So long as Itachi doesn't do a complete one-eighty and start skipping training, Fugaku doesn't mind who he interacts with while off-duty.
"What about you?" Mikoto's gaze becomes concerned. "It looks like you've had a hard day."
Fugaku sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "You could say that. Honestly, you'd think I grew a second head today with all the stares I got. That Yamanaka looked like he wanted to check my mind for possession or something."
Fugaku is tired and only his wife is around which is the only reason he loosens his tongue a little.
Mikoto releases a soft laugh at this. "Well, you have to admit, it is very out-of-character for you to represent two children outside of the Uchiha Clan. And one of them being..."
She trails off meaningfully and Fugaku nods. Sometimes, he wishes he could tell his wife about Naruto being the son of the Yondaime; she has already figured out for herself that Naruto is not the Kyuubi.
"Did it work though?" Mikoto continues. "Did they approve?"
"In the end, if push comes to shove, only the Hokage needs to approve it and he did," Fugaku confirms. "But it is better if the Council agrees. They didn't have any problems accepting Sakura-san's admission but the Uzumaki boy took me most of the day to convince them." He pauses and then scoffs, "Nara agreed just to speed things along. He was ready to fall asleep by late afternoon. I think he was asleep by the time the meeting ended. How someone like him became a clan head is beyond me."
Mikoto laughs again and Fugaku finds himself smiling back grudgingly.
"You know as well as I do that Shikaku-san more than makes up for his laziness with his intellect," Mikoto says.
"If he had intellect, he wouldn't be so lazy," Fugaku grumbles without heat.
They fall into a comfortable silence as Fugaku finishes his meal. As Mikoto cleans up, Fugaku leans back in his seat wearily, mind casting back to the meeting with the Clan Elders this morning.
The Elders are not happy with Fugaku taking on an extra burden like Konoha's Jinchuuriki but he insisted. He doesn't know where he is going with this decision, not exactly, but his instinct tells him it is the right choice. He is as afraid as they are that the Uchiha Clan will soon be reduced in strength with the other clans standing against them.
But after today's meeting, he notices something strange. He has told his wife that Nara Shikaku only consented to get the meeting over but he knows it is only part of the reason. Shikaku did not capitulate immediately after all. He listened to Fugaku's reasons and summary of Naruto's skills with sharp eyes that contradicted his signature slouch. He brought up points that made Fugaku defend his claims with honest reasons. And during a break in the early afternoon, he ambled up to Fugaku and asked with uncharacteristic sobriety if Fugaku was being sincere.
Fugaku wants Haruno Sakura associated with his Clan for his Clan but the only reason he wants Uzumaki Naruto is for Sakura and, after a night's contemplation, for Minato. And he had not played political war with the Elders and the Council for hours just to entertain himself so his answer was a frigid but vehement yes.
Shikaku ended up staring at him with an odd look on his face that Fugaku couldn't decipher for several seconds before shrugging lazily and meandering back to Inoichi and Chouza. But after that, Fugaku suddenly found himself with three new allies and it wasn't long until they managed to talk Tsume and Shibi around as well. The Hyuuga Clan Head took a while but Fugaku originally expected Hiashi to downright refuse until the bitter end so he didn't mind. Once they were convinced he wasn't representing Naruto for underhanded reasons, Fugaku was taken aback by the number of people willing to stand beside him.
And he doesn't understand that. He has always thought the other Clans wanted the Uchiha Clan undermined and kept under surveillance, used only for the power they bring to Konoha but having no real voice within the village. Surely they would do whatever they could to discredit him and accuse him of treachery. But after today, after the way the other Clan Heads helped his petition get through the village Elders willingly, Fugaku isn't sure what to think.
The only thing he is sure of is that maybe he should start thinking of ways to convince his Clan's Elders to reconsider the coup d'état they have been planning.
~P~
"Finally home, dear?"
Inoichi looks up and smiles wearily at his wife who is descending the stairs in her sleepwear.
"You look exhausted," Airi observes, bustling into the kitchen to heat up his dinner. "Council meetings usually don't take all day. Did something big happen?"
"That Uchiha brought up a huge issue," Inoichi grumbles, slumping into a seat. "He didn't even have the decency to warn us beforehand so we could prepare to bulldoze the Elders and not spend the entire day fielding their bullshit."
"Language," Airi says sternly as she carries his dinner over. "And warn you about what?"
Inoichi digs into his meal with enthusiasm and swallows a huge mouthful before speaking again. "He wants Uzumaki Naruto enrolled in the Academy in the upcoming term along with a civilian girl."
"Uzumaki..." She trails off, looking thoughtful. "That's good, isn't it? So long as he isn't doing it for any ulterior motives, with the Uchiha Clan backing him, Naruto-kun will get a decent education."
Inoichi smiles fondly at his wife and her lack of judgment. Despite her love of gossip, Airi has never been one to let others guide her beliefs and the rumours on Konoha's Jinchuuriki are no different.
"Exactly," Inoichi nods. "But Uchiha could've warned us first."
"Do you blame him for not coming to the rest of you?" Airi is suddenly frowning. "He probably thinks you'd all disagree with him."
Inoichi scoffs and retorts, "Anyone would disagree with him after seeing that stick up his ass- ow!"
Airi glares at him as Inoichi rubs his head. "How many times have I told you to make an effort to listen to his side of things?" She scolds. "Honestly, it's no wonder he expects all of you to oppose him."
Inoichi rolls his eyes but doesn't argue. He supposes today is a prime example of what his wife has been alluding to for years.
"What about the girl then?" Airi enquires. "Who is she? It isn't like the Uchihas to take in someone from the civilian sector."
Inoichi nods in agreement. "She's quite the prodigy, apparently. She knows Shunshin and can already fight efficiently with kunai, and her chakra control takes after Tsunade-sama's."
Airi's eyes widen. "Chakra-enhanced strength?"
"Yeah," Inoichi shakes his head. "She's the one who saved Uchiha's second son from that Iwa missing-nin I mentioned."
"She must be amazing," Airi remarks, and then her head snaps sharply to the right, her eyes focused on the doorway. "Yamanaka Ino, I told you to go to bed!"
It is a testament to how tired he is that Inoichi's relaxed guard doesn't pick up his own daughter. He raises an eyebrow when Ino slips into the room, looking guilty but defiant.
"I just wanted to see Tou-san before I went to sleep," She mutters before brightening when Inoichi opens his arms. She bounds forward and clambers into his lap, clearly happy that her father isn't mad at her. Inoichi shoots Airi a sheepish look over Ino's head and his wife rolls her eyes in exasperation.
"You're always spoiling her," She lectures half-heartedly.
"And you're always not," Inoichi points out. "It balances things out."
Ino giggles in his arms as Airi scowls at him.
"How was your day, Ino?" Inoichi glances down at his daughter.
"Great!" She exclaims, snuggling into his chest. "Sakura came over and I taught her how to make a flower wreath."
Inoichi stiffens. "Sakura?"
Ino pouts up at him. "My friend, Tou-san. The one I'm always telling you about."
Inoichi frowns in consternation. Huh, he somehow hadn't made the connection. "Her name's Sakura?"
Ino huffs in annoyance. "Yeah, Tou-san."
Airi shoots him a mildly exasperated look. "Is that important?" She asks.
Inoichi shrugs. "The civilian girl Uchiha is representing is Sakura. Haruno Sakura."
Ino perks up. "Yeah, that's Sakura's last name," She wilts just as quickly. "She said she was going to go to the Academy early. I didn't know it was this early."
Inoichi blinks down at her. What are the odds that his own daughter would be friends with the girl who managed to impress the Uchiha Clan Head?
"She's told you about it?" He presses.
Ino nods. "Yeah, she said she was going to the Academy soon," She makes a face and thumps one foot against the table. "I wanted to enter with her but I wouldn't be able to keep up anyway. She already knows a lot."
Inoichi exchanges a look with Airi. Ino has never expressed a desire to go to the Academy. She has always known she would be going when she turns six and she has never had any problems with it but there has never been any particular interest either.
"You know, I could enroll you early if that's what you want," Inoichi suggests, but Ino shakes her head.
"There wouldn't be any point," She tells him with a sigh. "I checked the stuff we'd learn in first year and I think I need to start reading more. Maybe next year."
Inoichi just nods silently, sharing a pleased look with his wife this time. He's glad Ino has finally shown some enthusiasm towards studying and he suddenly wants to meet the person who seems to have inspired that in his daughter.
"You remember we're going over to Shikaku-ji-san's place for dinner in a few days, right?" He chuckles when Ino groans. "Are Shikamaru-kun and Chouji-kun that bad?"
Ino instantly scowls. "They're so boring," She complains. "All Shikamaru does is watch clouds and call everything, and I mean everything, troublesome, and Chouji spends the entire time eating."
Airi giggles at this and Inoichi laughs outright. "Well," He grins. "Why don't you invite Sakura-chan? I'm sure no one would mind if you brought a friend along so you would have someone to talk to."
Ino brightens and throws her hands around his neck. "Really? Thanks, Tou-san! I'll ask Sakura-chan tomorrow! Now I won't be the only girl there!"
Inoichi smiles in bemusement. "You do know you have female cousins and so do the boys."
Ino rolls her eyes. "But they're all older, Tou-san. Besides, they're not my friends."
Inoichi sighs and doesn't argue. His daughter is too much like his wife in that aspect. He knows he won't get anywhere when Ino is being stubborn.
"Alright, that's enough," Airi cuts in, sending a stern look at Ino. "It's way past your bedtime, young lady. Up you go."
Five minutes later, Ino is tucked back into bed again and the two adults sit back at the dinner table as the clock ticks the night's minutes away.
"You just want to meet Sakura-chan," Airi points out after a long moment of companionable silence.
Inoichi shoots a slightly guilty look at his wife. "Not entirely," He protests. "Ino will have a friend to play with and I'll finally get to meet her."
Airi just sighs. "Aren't these dinners just for our three clans?"
Inoichi waves a hand. "Most of the time, Shikaku, Chouza, and I don't even talk business and I know you women just get together to exchange the latest gossip. It's just a social event. Shikaku won't mind."
Airi throws her hands in the air and rises to her feet. "If you're sure. I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late."
"Yes, darling," He says obediently, smiling faintly at his wife as she disappears from the kitchen.
Leaning back in his chair, Inoichi turns his thoughts back to the earlier meeting. He has always pegged the Uchiha Clan Head as a stuck-up man who believed everyone to be beneath him and everything unrelated to his clan unimportant.
But Fugaku had been bewilderingly genuine in his insistence to enroll Uzumaki Naruto, going so far as to accept their help instead of maintaining his haughty nature and trying to shut them all out at the smallest signs of opposition.
Inoichi wonders who brought around this change in the man or at least convinced Fugaku to show this side of him. The Uchiha Clan is just as important as any other clan in Konoha, just as needed, and he ponders on the possibility of the clans' relations improving with each other from this point on.
If that actually comes to pass, Inoichi wants to know who he has to thank.
~E~
"Are you sure it's alright?" Sakura asks anxiously for the third time as Ino led her to the Nara Compound.
"I'm sure Sakura," Ino assures her with a roll of her eyes. "My dad said nobody would mind. Besides, these dinners are always so boring. I need someone to talk to and who better than my best friend?"
Sakura smiles even through her worry. Ino has never been one to hold back what she thinks.
Ino sweeps past the Nara sentries with a wave and a winning smile and they let her through, showing only passing interest when their gazes land on Sakura.
"Come on, I'll introduce you to my dad," Ino tells her, ushering Sakura around the main house.
Sakura bites back a sigh. She knows Yamanaka Inoichi, of course; there aren't many who don't, and she has worked with the Clan Head before in her own timeline, not to mention she had been introduced to him by Ino the first time around as well.
"Tou-san!" Ino calls out and Sakura looks up to see Konoha's top interrogator relaxing on the porch with Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chouza beside him.\
Great. Not just one clan head, but three.
"Hi, Shikaku-ji-san, Chouza-ji-san," Ino greets hastily before pushing Sakura forward and grinning proudly up at her father. "Tou-san, this is Sakura, my best friend."
Sakura is immediately pinned under three sharp gazes and her face warms even as she ducks her head in a shallow bow. "Nice to meet you, Yamanaka-sama," Sakura murmurs, and then because it's just plain stupid not to greet the other two as well, she turns and offers a shy smile. "Good evening, Akimichi-sama. Thank you for inviting me, Nara-sama."
There is a moment's silence where Sakura thinks she has botched her introduction, but then Inoichi chuckles and Chouza smiles kindly at her as Shikaku nods lazily.
"It's nice to meet you too, Sakura-chan," Inoichi leans forward with an amused smile. "And there's no need to be so formal here. Inoichi is fine. Same for these two."
Sakura smiles and nods in acceptance. She blinks when Shikaku stirs and peers at her curiously.
"Huh, you really do have pink hair," He remarks, ignoring the look of reproach Chouza sends him.
Sakura can't help smiling just a little, feeling a thrum of nostalgia run through her. In her own timeline, out of all her friends' parents, it was Shikamaru's father she had gotten closest to. Being almost on par with the Nara heir in terms of intellect, Sakura was often called on to plan strategy with the Naras and she had spent more than one night slumped over their coffee table with Shikaku and Shikamaru and a stack of battle plans. She is more than familiar with Shikaku's barefaced observations.
"Yes sir," She says in response. "My parents were pretty surprised too."
Shikaku raises an eyebrow and quirks an amused smile at her before leaning back again, his entire posture languid as if he couldn't be bothered to straighten out his spine. Sakura has to muffle another giggle.
"Help yourself to the food, Sakura-chan," Chouza put in. "The barbecue's delicious."
Sakura only has time to nod in acknowledgement before Ino is dragging her away again, pointing out her uncles and aunts and cousins and chattering away about what they do.
Sakura finds herself relaxing in the friendly atmosphere, but in between bites of food and meeting Shikamaru and Chouji's mothers, she catches glimpses of Inoichi or Chouza or Shikaku watching her with inquisitive eyes. She doesn't know if this is a good sign or not.
When Ino stops talking to sip at some water, Sakura takes the opportunity to point at two figures lounging on a grassy area near the porch where the three Clan Heads are lounging and ask, "Who are they?"
Ino turns to look before making a face. "Oh, them. That's Shikamaru and Chouji," She hesitates for a moment before getting to her feet and motioning for Sakura to follow. "You'll probably meet them sooner or later so I'll introduce you now."
Sakura's happiness at seeing another two of her friends is dampened by the sorrow that wells up in her simultaneously. There are times when she walks through the village, looking at everything around her still alive and flourishing, and feels like she wants to cry. It is even worse when she sees people she knows from her previous timeline.
"Oi, Shikamaru, Chouji," Ino's voice takes on a note of bossiness as she puts her hands on her hips and scowls down at the two boys. "You could at least say hi when someone our age comes to these dinners. If she didn't have me, she'd be all alone."
Shikamaru doesn't even bother opening his eyes but Sakura knows he has already seen her and understands exactly who Ino is talking about.
"If she didn't have you, she wouldn't even be here," The Nara heir counters.
Beside him, Chouji is very quiet as Ino blushes and starts berating Shikamaru. Sakura remembers Chouji to be rather shy and wary of other children because of his size. She remembers the way other people teased her for her hair and forehead and wonders why she never took the time to talk to Chouji when they were in the Academy together.
Well, it would be different this time.
Smiling tentatively, Sakura steps forward and crouches down beside Chouji. "Hi," She sticks out a hand with earnest sincerity. "I'm Sakura. You must be Chouji. It's nice to meet you."
Chouji blinks first at her and then her hand as if he can't believe she is talking to him willingly. And then, slowly, he extends a hand as well and shakes hers clumsily.
"Nice to meet you too," He says, an edge of uncertainty underlying his voice.
Sakura pretends not to notice and beams warmly at him instead. "I already met your parents; your mum's really nice."
Chouji flushes with pleasure and the tension in the line of his shoulders disappear as he finally smiles back at her.
"She is," He agrees before blinking curiously at her hair. "You have pretty hair," He blurts out, turning even redder.
Sakura can feel herself blushing but she flashes an appreciative grin at the boy. "Thanks. Most people just think it's weird," She stops to flash a smile at Ino, who has stopped yelling at Shikamaru and is currently staring at her like she has grown an extra limb. Shikamaru has finally opened his eyes and is peering at her as if he doesn't quite know what to make of her.
"Ino chased them all away," Sakura continues. "The bullies I mean. "She's my best friend."
Ino's grin is radiant at Sakura's open declaration and her bad mood from before disappears like mist at high noon. She sits down on the grass, reaching out to tug Sakura down as well so she is sitting between her and Chouji before jabbing a finger at Shikamaru.
"And this is Shikamaru," She announces. "He's lazy and boring and likes to watch clouds. And he plays old man games."
Shikamaru shoots the blonde an annoyed look but only mutters "troublesome" before turning his attention back to Sakura.
Sakura smiles again. After her first Chuunin Exams, Shikamaru has always been like an older brother to her. When her parents died, Sakura rented a flat, but more often than not, she would spend her nights in one of the Naras' guest bedrooms, one that had slowly become 'her' bedroom.
"Hi," She says. "Does 'old man games' mean shogi?"
Shikamaru's eyebrows rise with interest. "You know shogi?"
Sakura nods, swallowing a snicker when Ino groans beside her.
"Not you too, Sakura!" The blonde wails. "It's bad enough that Shikamaru plays it!"
Sakura just laughs. "It's not so bad, Ino. You just need a lot of patience."
Ino scowls but accepts Sakura's quirks like she has always done before climbing to her feet. "Well, if you're going to talk about shogi, I'll go get some food for you. You didn't eat the yakiniku yet."
Chouji opens his mouth as if he wants to ask Ino to get him some too but closes it again a moment later. Sakura frowns just a bit before piping up, "Mind bringing enough for all of us, Ino? We might as well just eat together so we don't have to keep getting up when one of us gets hungry."
Ino ponders this for a second before nodding agreeably and flouncing away, making a beeline for the food set out in the centre of the compound.
Sakura smiles to herself and turns back to the boys, only to blink when she finds Shikamaru sitting up and watching her with thoughtful eyes. He knows exactly what she has just done and Sakura can't really be surprised. It is Shikamaru, after all.
He doesn't bring it up though, and moves the conversation back to shogi instead. "So you play," He says bluntly. "Are you any good?"
Sakura tilts her head to the side. At twenty-six, she has only managed to win almost half the games they have played ever since he taught her how. She has even played Shikaku, but over the span of ten years and a total of fifty-two games, she has only been able to win four times against Konoha's Head Strategist. Considering the fact that even Kakashi has only been able to beat Shikaku six times out of fifty-five, she is quite happy with her four.
At the age of five, if Shikamaru somehow manages to beat her, Sakura just may consider beating her head against a wall.
"Pretty good," She replies, and then because she knows what buttons to push, "What about you?"
Shikamaru takes on a mildly offended look and he actually straightens up. "I'm a Nara," He says as if it is all the explanation anyone would ever need.
Sakura blinks innocently at him and feigns ignorance. "I know you are. What does that have to do with anything?"
Shikamaru stares wide-eyed at her for a moment. "All Naras can play shogi," He explains, looking mildly put-out.
Sakura waves a hand. "Anyone can play shogi. Are you good enough to beat me?"
Shikamaru actually gawks at her for a few seconds, and then he is scrambling to his feet. "Wait here," He orders, and then he is off, running for his house as fast as he could.
Sakura bursts into giggles and grins mischievously at a bemused-looking Chouji. "He gets pretty worked up about shogi," She says wisely.
Chouji grins back, smaller than hers but just as genuine. "He does. Clouds and shogi are practically the only things he cares about."
Sakura's features soften and she leans over to knock shoulders with him. "And you, right?"
Chouji turns to look at her, clearly surprised, before his smile widens and he nods. "Yeah, Shikamaru's my best friend."
They both look up when they hear rapid footsteps heading their way and exchange amused looks as Shikamaru scampers up, shogi board in hand. He plops down right in front of her and demands, "Let's play."
Laughing helplessly, Sakura nods and sets up her pieces as Ino returns with two plates piled high with food. It is going to be a long evening but Sakura can't think of anywhere she would rather be right now.
~S~
"I like her," Shikaku announces as he adjusts the chakra he is using to listen in on the children several dozen feet away.
"You must," Inoichi agrees dryly. "Eavesdropping is usually too troublesome for you and now you've stooped to eavesdropping on children."
Shikaku rolls his eyes. "You started it. You're a bad influence on me."
"You're both bad influences," Chouza cuts in mildly. "And when Yoshino-chan and Airi-chan catch you, you're both also dead."
"You're in the same boat as we are!" Inoichi protests indignantly.
"No I'm not," Chouza denies with an uncharacteristic smirk. "I'm not eavesdropping on anyone. Can I help it if you're relaying everything they're saying to me?"
Shikaku tunes out Inoichi's reply and heightens his eyesight instead. It is the girl's move and he wants to know what she will do next.
Haruno Sakura is not what Shikaku expects. Of course, he doesn't really expect anything at first; it's not in his nature to make up his mind about something before getting all the facts. But between everything Fugaku has told them about the girl and said girl's actual appearance – pink hair? Really? – Shikaku instinctively thinks of one of those odd prodigies who have genius reflexes and a sharp mind but no clue how to blend in with the rest of civilization or act around other people.
So, despite his typical stance on having no prior expectations, Haruno Sakura is not what Shikaku expects.
When she greets Chouji without the usual taunting other kids often start with, Shikaku approves, and, when he hears, Chouza is relieved. When she calms Ino down from the beginnings of a rant with only a few simple words, Shikaku is surprised, and, beside him, Inoichi is glad; his daughter usually bulldozes anyone in her way when she gets riled up. When she is perceptive enough to mind Chouji's feelings and smart enough to prompt Ino into getting what the Akimichi heir wants, Shikaku is mildly impressed.
And when she causes Shikaku's own son to sit up and take interest in what she is saying, resulting in the boy being more active than Shikaku has seen in a long while, well, that just takes the cake.
"Oh, not good enough," He murmurs under his breath as he watches Shikamaru shift a silver general. "Should've moved the knight, brat."
Indeed, a moment later, Sakura takes Shikamaru's gold general and leaves his left side wide open. Shikaku can almost feel his son's frustration.
"Is the game really so interesting, Shikaku?" Inoichi leans forward to peer in the same direction.
"She's good," Shikaku mutters in response. "Better than Shikamaru."
"Is she?" Chouza shifts forward as well. "Shikamaru-kun's really good for his age. Sakura-chan must be excellent."
"No, there's something..." Shikaku trails off, studying the pattern of Sakura's pieces. Her playing style is strange. Unique. And yet...
"It's familiar," He says aloud as her moves click into place in his mind. She does not always move as he expects; sometimes that is a good thing and sometimes not, but the times she does move according to his own thoughts, her style becomes clear. "She plays with a Nara's hand."
Inoichi and Chouza both snap their heads around to stare at him.
"What does that mean?" Inoichi demands, but Shikaku ignores him, mostly because he doesn't really understand at the moment.
As far as he knows, the girl has had no interactions with his Clan, and even if she has, it wouldn't explain how she has managed to pick up some of their style. She may be a prodigy but it often took years to incorporate someone else's approach to shogi into her own style. It doesn't make sense.
Shikaku hates things that don't make sense. It gets him curious and curiosity is just really troublesome.
With a sigh, he deactivates the chakra in his eyes as Sakura checkmates his son's king.
"Troublesome," He grumbles and rolls onto his back. He will have to keep an eye on the girl. There is something here that simply doesn't add up and he wants to figure out what it is.
But still, Haruno Sakura is definitely not what he expects.
~T~
As Sakura waits at the front entrance of the Academy, she thinks back to last night's dinner with the Naras, bringing the grand total up to four. Ever since the dinner Ino dragged her to almost two weeks ago, Shikaku has somehow wrangled her into accepting another three invitations. The fact that Shikamaru has all but demanded her return for multiple shogi games doesn't help her case.
It isn't as if she has anything against the Naras; on the contrary, she loves being back in one of the places she has spent quite a lot of time in, but there is something about the glint in Shikaku's eyes that makes her pensive. She recognizes that look; it is the one her time's Shikaku, and later Shikamaru, always have when something has piqued their interest, and she knows there is no stopping either of them until the truth is out.
"Sakura-chan!" The exuberant shout automatically makes her smile and she turns to wave at Naruto.
"Good morning," She greets as the blond runs up, hair a mess and his new shinobi-wear mussed as if he only paused long enough to throw them on haphazardly. With an exasperated sigh, Sakura reaches out to still the ball of energy before tugging the clothes into place.
Naruto rubs the back of his head and grins sheepishly at her as he holds out his arms obediently so she can adjust the blue-gray shirt he is wearing. Finishing by running a hand through his unruly locks, she levels a stern look on the blond that has absolutely no effect on him. Naruto simply stares back brightly, wide blue eyes melting whatever annoyance she feels.
Sakura rolls her eyes and shakes her head when Naruto chuckles, obviously knowing he has ducked out of a lecture.
"Sakura! Naruto!" Sasuke is hurrying towards them, Itachi and Mikoto following at a more sedate pace. He skids to a stop beside them, a little breathless but much neater in appearance overall than Naruto as he joins them eagerly. "Have you been waiting long?"
Sakura shakes her head but Naruto immediately cracks an exaggerated yawn. "We've been waiting forever, Sasuke!" He tells him, crossing his arms over the strap of his book bag. "What happened? Fell asleep in the bathroom?"
Sasuke immediately scowls back. "I wasn't asking you, dobe. Why would I care how long you have to wait?"
Sakura smiles as they begin bickering again. Not a minute in each other's company and already arguing. She has long resigned herself to it.
It was a surprise when Sasuke announced, a few weeks back, that he is enrolling as well. Sakura is more than happy of course but she is used to the Sasuke who has to be nagged into spending time with them even when he clearly wants to and not this Sasuke who laughs and plays and hates being left out of anything she and Naruto is doing. Sometimes, she still finds this hard to believe.
"Good morning Sakura-chan," Mikoto says as she walks up, smiling fondly at her youngest son and his best friend. "Honestly, those two."
Sakura giggles and nods in agreement. She glances at Itachi who stares back emotionlessly. Her face instantly forms a frown.
She catches Mikoto hiding a smile out of the corner of her eye and she blinks at her in confusion but the Uchiha matriarch says nothing. Instead, she shoots Itachi a pointed look that the heir may or may not have understood because, after a moment, he offers a stiff nod in her direction.
Sakura's brain immediately translates Good morning.
Her frown morphs into a glare but she is in Mikoto's presence and screeching at Itachi is probably not a good idea.
"Good morning," She mutters instead, returning the silent salutation half-heartedly. Out of the corner of her eye, she watches Mikoto sigh in defeat and wonders what that is about but doesn't ask.
Without waiting for another wordless reply from the human statue, Sakura turns back to Naruto and Sasuke and reaches out to whack them both gently upside the head.
"Stop that!" She scolds as they turn to pout at her. "We've got school and if you get into another fight, we're all going to be late, so settle down!"
They both murmur contrite apologies and Sakura grins smugly inside. Fifteen, twenty-six, or five, she is still boss.
"Right then, let's go," She announces.
They wave goodbye to Mikoto and Itachi before making their way into the Academy. The curriculum will be easy for her so she hopes she will get as much time as she wants in the training yard once she shows how far ahead she is. Right now, she has to concentrate on building up her stamina and fully adjusting to her five-year-old body.
~x~x~
*Two Weeks Later*
It soon becomes kinda clear that the Academy, while boring to Sakura and mildly interesting to Sasuke, would be no walk in the park for Naruto. Not because he is stupid and the curriculum too hard, no; it is because the shinobi teaching them are stupid.
Sakura watches with gritted teeth as someone-or-other-sensei sneered for the umpteenth time when he returns Naruto's test. There is red scribbled all over it and Sakura doesn't even have to look at it to know it is harder than everyone else's. Prior to said test, she had stayed up with Naruto reviewing and testing him and knows he knows the material.
Sakura has tried to hold her tongue, for Naruto's sake. She and even Sasuke at this age knows Naruto doesn't like bringing attention to the unfair way other people treat him, but enough is enough.
In her head, Inner is screaming profanities. 'Motherfucking sonofabitch! You call yourself a shinobi? You're not worth the dirt that dogs piss on-"
Sakura tunes her out in favour of taking a deep breath to steady her temper as the sensei says something that makes most of the class snigger. On her left, Sasuke is stabbing his pencil into his workbook and making a valiant attempt at reigning in his frustration, not caring about the hole he has poked through the paper.
These shinobi are stupid, suicidally so, because Sakura is not going to sit back and take this anymore. And in her timeline, even Orochimaru learns to be wary of a pissed-off Sakura, not that it helped him much in the end.
The sensei turns away and all she notices is Naruto's downcast eyes and hunched shoulders, and she sees red.
Sakura stands up so violently that her chair skids back and hits the wall with a loud bang. It is lucky that she sits in the back because she is fairly certain she would've injured whichever student was placed behind her.
The sensei whirls back, obviously startled, but Sakura doesn't give him time to even open his mouth before she is marching forward and seizing the test paper from a frozen Naruto's hands. A cursory glance at it tells her everything she needs to know.
"This," She hisses, thrusting the test in the man's face. "Is not what you told us to study for. This is fourth year material. Are you so blind you can't even tell what kind of test you're handing out?"
The sensei's face rapidly turns an ugly shade of red. "Haruno-san," He snaps in an icy voice. "Return to your seat this instant. I will not tolerate such offensive behaviour in my class."
"That's exactly what I was gonna say," She snarls, voice so thick with fury that her words come out slightly distorted. "I won't tolerate this any longer either! What has Naruto ever done to you?"
She takes a step forward and is gratified to see the sensei step back when cracks break out under her foot.
"Aren't you supposed to be a professional?" She continues, the test now crumpled beyond repair in her balled fist. She takes another step forward. "Senseis are supposed to teach their students, not make sure they fail! You've done nothing but pick on Naruto like some petty five-year-old ever since term started! You should be fired! You should be demoted back to Genin! You should be stripped as a ninja, you STUPID CLOSE-MINDED INSIGNIFICANT ASSHOLE!"
Her voice has risen to an enraged shriek by the time she finishes. She is so angry that people could treat her surrogate brother like this, and even angrier that anyone could ever consider treating a child like this.
Her sensei is literally cowering in front of her and Sakura realizes she has unleashed her killer intent without realizing. Luckily, it is only aimed at the man and not at the six-year-olds around them so she makes no effort to pull it back.
"Sa- Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered behind her, sounding stunned and meek at the same time. She feels him pluck at her sleeve and immediately turns her head to look at him, gaze softening as she pushes her anger away for the time being.
"It's okay," He insists, which only infuriates Sakura more. "I don't mind; I'm used to it."
Sakura opens her mouth to refute this but someone else beats her to it.
"What do you mean 'it's okay', dobe?" Sasuke has also stood up, the most Uchiha-like glare Sakura has ever seen on this time's Sasuke carved on his face as he glowers at their sensei. "What are you, brain dead? It's definitely not okay!"
His glare switches to Naruto though it softens just a touch. "You are going to be the Hokage one day; you said!" Sasuke throws this out like an accusation and Naruto can only nod, looking slightly dazed.
"Well," Sasuke crosses his arms and gives the blond an unforgiving stare. "I refuse to serve under a Hokage with no backbone so either give up that dream or stop complaining and let Sakura and I do our- our job!" He falters just a little at the end but finishes with steel-like certainty as if he is daring Naruto to refuse his words.
Sakura doesn't think she has ever been prouder of him.
For his part, Naruto looks shocked beyond belief and it takes a moment for him to react. For several long seconds, he turns first to look at Sakura, who meets his gaze with all the love and loyalty of her twenty-six-year-old self, and then back at Sasuke, who even at four is convinced he is right, and then at their sensei, who can't meet Naruto's eyes at all.
And then, motions deliberate, Naruto sits down.
Nothing more is said between them but Sakura knows she has just witnessed the very beginning of something powerful and long-lasting.
It is Sasuke's turn to give the sensei a piece of his mind and Sakura steps back to observe, easing up on her killer intent.
"The Uchiha Clan represents both Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke starts coolly, and when the sensei blanches and pales, Sakura realizes he hadn't known.
"By denying Naruto's education at the Academy," Sasuke continues. "You are opposing the wishes of my Clan, the village Council, and the Hokage himself. If you don't want to be called in front of the Council to explain your despicable actions, I suggest you find a replacement, and fast."
Sakura thinks Sasuke is channelling Itachi because this is the most formal she has ever heard him speak. She supposes that all the time spent following his brother around has really helped his development towards threatening people in politely phrased diatribes. Idly, she wonders when Itachi would find the need to use a word like 'despicable'.
The sensei looks to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Sakura is vindictively pleased. Perhaps another wave of killer intent would send him to the hospital.
But before she could consider this plan of action, the door swings open and the Hokage himself walks in, followed closely by Crow.
Sakura has to try really, really hard to keep a vicious smirk from surfacing on her face.
~x~x~
"I can't believe we got in trouble!" Naruto grumbles as they wipe down all the desks in the classroom. "I mean that bastard was asking for it!"
Sakura trades an amused look with Sasuke as she scrubs at a piece of gum under the table.
The Hokage had removed their sensei and dismissed the class for the rest of the day before turning a severe expression on Sakura and Sasuke. The two of them had been reamed out for half an hour for disrespecting a sensei no matter how badly he taught, and then they were assigned chores for the rest of the school day.
"This isn't so bad," Sakura says optimistically. "It could've been worse; we could've been expelled. Besides, you don't really have to stay, Naruto. You weren't punished."
Naruto throws a rare scowl in her direction as he starts on the windows. "Yeah I do, Sakura-chan. You two got in trouble defending me. As future Hokage, I have to take responsblity for this sort of thing."
"Responsibility, Naruto," Sakura automatically corrects, but she smiles to take the sting out of the words.
"Yeah, that," Naruto waves a hand. "'Sides, this is worth seeing sensei get chewed out by the old man."
Sasuke snorts and Sakura catches the self-satisfied smirk on the boy's face. Obviously, Sasuke is very pleased with what he did today.
"We should've done that two weeks ago," He mutters instead, kicking a garbage can over to the desk he is working on. "We would've too if you hadn't been such a girl about it."
His mouth snaps close a second too late and his eyes quickly dart over to Sakura who raises an eyebrow.
"I mean girly," Sasuke amends lamely before realizing this isn't much better and fumbles for another adjective. "I mean-"
Sakura takes pity on him and releases her pent-up laughter. Naruto joins in, all but cackling at the embarrassed look on Sasuke's face.
"It's fine, Sasuke," She grins cheekily at him. "We were pretty cool today."
Sasuke really does smirk this time and hns in agreement.
Six hours later, the three of them stagger out of the school, completely exhausted but still very pleased with themselves.
Mikoto is at the gates to meet them and only sighs when she spots their bedraggled appearances so Sakura assumes she knows what's happened.
"Alright, let's get all of you back to our place," She announces, ushering the three of them in the direction of the Uchiha compound. "You can all take a bath there and then stay for dinner."
Both Sakura and Naruto brighten at the invitation. Neither of them wants to drag themselves home in the state they are in.
As the compound comes into sight, Mikoto reaches out to hug Sasuke with one arm and Sakura with the other before moving forward to hug Naruto as well.
"Two weeks in and already in trouble," Mikoto just says at their questioning looks, but she smiles at the same time.
Sakura thinks Uchiha Mikoto is rather proud of them too.
Finished! Another long chapter but I couldn't make myself cut it in half. Hope I didn't butcher Shisui; it's my take on him.
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