Mother Knows Best

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and clicked. All feedback is appreciated. For my Sasuke x Hinata fans, we'll start getting that pairing rolling as well. It won't be an instant romance as we have to solve the Naruto equation. But it WILL happen ;).

Disclaimer: I still own nothing and that includes this dress. For those of you interested, you can private message me and I"ll show you the picture of the dress Hinata wore at the party. I found it on Google Images.

Chapter Four: Let's Give Them Something to Talk About

Sasuke's POV

After the war, I was let back into the Leaf. This was most likely because of the loser's very loud mouth and they were too afraid to let me wander the countryside. By this point, I knew the truth behind my family's death and Itachi's sacrifice. To honor his memory, I decided not to destroy the Leaf.

As much as I still despised the village for what it had done to my clan, it was home. I came back for three reasons. The first was that Naruto was going to chase my ass to Hell and back (again), if I didn't. I could easily picture the idiot in a wheelchair, following me when we were 80. The second, my clan was buried here. If for no other reason, I had an obligation to make sure their graves weren't disturbed. The third being, I don't think any ninja village would want to risk alienating the Leaf by taking me.

The Leaf now trusted me to take missions outside the village, as long as Naruto was with me. It was fucking annoying. But if it came down to being stuck in the village 24/7 or having Naruto "babysit" me, I'd put up with the knucklehead.

Suddenly, the blonde stops. A messenger hawk landed on his hand. Normally, animals didn't like him Naruto. It was a fact that amused me to no end. There was that one ostrich in particular, who really gave Naruto a hard time on a mission. But this was Tsunade's. She probably trained it to recognize Naruto specifically.

"That's weird. Granny Tsunade wants us to report to her as soon as we get back," he says.

"She probably just wants to know how the trade mission went and figures your dumbass was going to head to the ramen shop first," I shrug it off.

"What'd you call me," he yells.

"I called you a dumbass. If the headband fits, wear it," I smirk and start off towards the village.

"You bastard," Naruto huffs and flails, following me.

"Whatever," I say as we stroll through the streets.

The Leaf had mostly rebuilt from after all the conflicts. People still stared at me as I walked by. It was equal parts awe, fear, and distrust. Some of them probably thought I was the second coming of Madara. There was a fraction that was impressed Naruto and I had managed to defeat my insane ancestor. But most of them, I think were willing to tolerate me as long as Naruto was nearby. They figured if I snapped, their savior would deal with it.

As the Sun shined down on us, on surprisingly warm autumn morning, I couldn't help but think some things would never change. The Leaf Village was filled with a lot of sheep. They'd follow the herd.

When Naruto was a kid, they all treated him like garbage because of the Kyubbi (whether they knew that was the reason like the adults or were just following the lead of their parents.) Now that he had saved their asses a few times, he was their hero. So if Naruto told them I was "safe", they'd believe him. Naruto could probably tell them the Earth was flat and they'd believe him.

Still it was nice to be somewhere "normal." Here I could watch kids play on the street. While nowhere was ever completely safe, it seemed unlikely anyone would be foolish enough to attack me here. Walking pass some booths, I noticed one was selling tomatoes. Maybe I"d stop there after we got this report over with.

When we arrived at the Hokage Tower, I immediately noticed something was up. Kakashi was standing next to Tsunade. She had a worried expression. Then the Sanin said something about good news. It was unbelievable, but they had Ibiki verify it. She asked me to sit down and for Naruto to restrain me, if I got out of hand. Well now she had my undivided attention.

Kakashi starts telling us about some fight that his ninja dog got into. I liked animals as well as the next person, but I failed to see why that was a big deal. It happened. Ninja dogs were still dogs afterall. Dogs chased cats. So what?

Hisahi came out. He was a cat, that my family had when I was a kid. I remembered him. Itachi had named him, always with you. I think it was his way of trying to make up for always being away at the Academy or on missions.

"Wait so the freakout is over the fact you found his pet? I mean that's great and all. Doesn't explain why you'd think that'd make him snap. Even for an ice prince like him, that's a good thing," Naruto starts saying.

I twitch. The loser and I get into another verbal spar. At this point, there wasn't really any malice in it. It was just out of habit. If I wasn't bickering with Naruto, it was because we were in the middle of a life or death battle. (And sometimes, even then…)

"It's good to see you Master Sasuke. You've grown a lot since you were a kitten. But the big news is, I didn't come alone," Hisahi fluffs my legs.

That was when she came out of the shadows. I must have been slipping if I didn't sense another person in the room. My eyes widen. It couldn't be.

"Mom," I ask in a voice so light, I almost didn't recognize it.

This had to be a trap. There was no way she was alive again. Maybe it was a Reanimation Jutsu, like had happened in Itachi. If that was the case, I was going to kill the son of the bitch, who wouldn't let her rest in peace.

I get behind her. With a practiced ease, I have my sword at her throat. To her credit, she didn't even flinch. Well if she was a Reanimation, she was already dead. So other it's not like she had anything to lose. Though, there was normally at least an instinctive reaction to having a sword against a vulnerable spot like your neck.

"Prove it. Say something only she'd know," I murmur lowly.

"Mr. Rexy," she said.

Mr. Rexy was a stuffed T-Rex, Itachi had as a kid. He was my favorite toy, even though he belonged to Itachi. There was no way that an enemy ninja would know about that. It was really her!

I move the sword away from her throat. My mother embraces me and rubs my back soothingly, sometimes running her fingers through my hair. It was like I was a child again.

She explained about the necklace. It was permanent! I wasn't going to lose her again! Well at least not till she lived out her natural lifespan this time.

I asked about the interrogation, who revived her, why, and if she was hurt. The vague answer wasn't really enough. But I was going to kill them for hurting her. (Though she reassured me that her injuries had already healed.)

"I can't believe you are really back," I say.

"I am. I love you. But there are a few things we are going to have to discuss, my son," mom replies.

"Well yeah. I mean your room should still be good. I got back a few months ago. So it's clean. But I can understand if you want a different room or a different house in the district. I'll have another key made," I said cheerfully.

"It's about that purple belt. It has to go. It just does not go with your outfit. Also I think it is time to start rebuilding our family's name. The world mostly knows us now for the massacre and Madara's return. I think a homecoming party is in order," she smiles.

Really? My fashion choices? I didn't really give a damn about the belt. She was back. Her idea for a party, made me nervous. She had just come back. I didn't want her to overdo it. I suggested resting. Mom, however, was determined to throw this homecoming celebration. I couldn't deny her and she had a point about making the council squirm.

At some point, Tsunade, Naruto, and Kakashi must have left. It was only me, mother, and Hiashi/Snowball. Mother throws on a Genjutsu. She was a red head with blue eyes.

"It'll be better to wait until the announcement is made. We don't need people panicking because they saw a ghost," she nods at me as we head off.

"It'd be fun to see them lose it, without the Genjutsu," I murmur with a smile.

A smile felt foreign to me. It'd been awhile since I had really smiled. Sure, I smirked sometimes. But a real smile, it'd been years. I felt like a giant weight had been lifted off me.

I noticed some of the villagers giving us strange looks. I was walking with a woman and happy. They probably thought we were together. That was just sick. (Not that they knew that of course, but it is the principle of the thing.) I give them one of my trademark Deathglares and they all soon find something else to do.

"Son, you should smile more and glare less. You'll make more friends that way," I hear her say.

She said it lowly enough that the others wouldn't catch It. There wouldn't have been a point in using a disguise, if she was going to call me her son.

"I don't need friends, I have you and the loser," I say.

It was true. Naruto was insane. How many times, had I nearly killed him? Yet he never gave up on me. For Godsakes, Sakura had at one point and she claimed to be in love with me. I really didn't know about Kakashi. He seemed to have better self preservation instincts than Naruto and Sakura. Granted this was not a high bar. But there was a reason why he'd made it to 30 and at least half of ninjas wouldn't.

"One can always use more friends. You'll see. Maybe you'll make some at the party," she says as she looks around the market.

Mother grabbed a cart and began the process of piling it with all sorts of foods and drinks. It ranged from water to vodka. There was junk food and fancy meals, such as lobster.

"I've been gone so long, I don't know who likes what. So I'll just get a bit of everything," she smiles.

I nod. I couldn't care less about food at this point. My mother was alive, standing next to me, and talking to me. There was something reassuring about having her here. Even if it was something as mundane as shopping, it was like a hole in me was being filled.

"What does Hinata like? I do owe her for keeping my secret," mother muses.

"Hinata? Keeping your secret? Wait, Hinata knew you were back before me," I say and blink.

"Her Byakugan saw through my Genjutsu. I didn't really have a choice. I had to explain. She was very understanding. She seems nice," she said.

"Right. Thank the Gods and Goddesses she's not a blabbermouth like Naruto or the entire Five Nations would know you were back by now," I say as I pause.

The truth was, I had no idea what Hinata liked. I barely knew who she was. We went to the Academy together. I don't think we had ever spoken. She was a good student when it came to paper tests. Though she lacked confidence when it came to physical exams. So she ranked in the middle as far as class rank went.

I knew she was extremely shy. She'd blush, stutter, and faint when around Naruto. She'd always been kind from what little I knew of her. I couldn't think of anyone who'd spoken negatively about her, save for Neji. At some point before his death, they must have reconciled. If there was one thing that I could recognize, it was pain and loss. That's what I had seen her on her face, at the War Memorial when she visited him.

Thankfully, she had never been a stalker. *Cough cough* Sakura, Ino, Karin, and others. So she'd never annoyed me. There really hadn't been a reason for me to pay attention to her. I was focused on avenging the clan.

"I'm not sure. We haven't talked much," I said.

"Oh. Shame. Well I'm sure there will be something she likes in here. Hiashi will send at least the main branch members to the gathering. He wouldn't refuse a clan invitation. It'd make him look afraid," mother says with just a hint of smugness?

"You've got a problem with Hiashi," I asked.

"I have a problem with any clan, that enslaves half of their clan. But Hiashi and I go way back," she answers.

Snowball was still draped over his shoulder. He looked rather pleased with himself. Probably because he was getting a free ride.

"Your mother and his twin brother used to play together. Hizashi was always fond of kids. He was six years older than your mother and for some of his first Rookie Genin missions, he watched her. Hiashi caught them playing one day. Hizashi was the Prince Charming and Mikoto was the Cinderella. Well he's never been fond of fantasy or thinking of yourself as "above your station." There was quite a row," Snowball starts.

"He's always had a stick up his ass. I may or may not have set fire to his kimono, while he was still in it," Mother actually whistles.

"You really set fire to his kimono," I couldn't help but try to imagine a preteen Hiashi flailing about trying to put the flames out.

I laughed. I actually laughed. Not the homicidal laugh, that I sometimes gave in battle. No, this was a real one. I know this because immediately everyone's heads turned to us. Why couldn't our village be a village where everyone minded their own business?

Mother smiled at them and simply waved her hand. I guess all the fairytale acting might have actually proved useful. It reminded me of a gesture that the Queen or Princess might make as she passed her subjects by in a carriage. It was a gesture that said, everything is fine. Don't worry.

Ah no more stares or whispers. Silence… bliss. I had to ask her how to do that. Maybe it only worked for women. The gesture was a bit too feminine but if it produced results like that…I wonder if it would work on the loser?

"How'd you do that," I ask as we pay for our many purchases.

The cart was overflowing with food, drinks, and a rather impressive amount of fireworks. Upon second glance there were also table clothes, curtains, fine china, regular silverware and plates, a wide assortment of flowers, and she'd grabbed several different kinds of music. All the way from classical to rock. She was definitely serious about finding something everyone would like.

"Do what," she asks.

"Shut them up. I have been trying to do that my WHOLE life," I said.

"Oh it's the Princess Wave," she smiles.

"The Princess Wave, you're joking," I say in disbelief.

"No. It's different for women who lead clans. We learn all sorts of things. One of the most important lessons is body language. The Princess Wave instills a sense of calm. If the leader looks serene, then the rest of the clan will follow suit. All the female clan heads and those who will become them, learn this. Or at least they did in my day. But it's been around for centuries. I doubt they would have scrapped it in a decade," she says thoughtfully.

"… It's a real thing? That's the official name," I hear myself say.

"Yes, that's the official name. It is very much a real thing. Besides, it works," she says proud of herself.

I couldn't argue with that. But a thought occurred to me. She couldn't just walk home with me. If I knew this idiotic village, when they saw me take a woman to my clan's district the rumor mill would explode.

"Did Tsunade say when everyone was going to know that you were back," I asked.

"She's going to make the announcement in a few hours. Best we be at home when it happens. Not sure how the village will react to be honest. You go on ahead. I'll take the scenic route, so we don't blow my cover," she says to me.

I didn't like the idea of letting her out of my sight. But she was right and she'd been back a week already. Nothing bad had happened to her. Whoever revived her, they weren't in a hurry to attack. They probably didn't want to risk doing so, in a village full of people. Still I couldn't help but feel a bit of unease prickle at the back of my mind. No one brings back someone from the dead and then just forgets about that person. They'd be back.

I head back to the Uchiha District quickly. Most of the buildings, save for my family's house had been abandoned for a decade. It fittingly looked like a ghost town. Well at least our home was clean, as I'd gotten back a few months ago. It'd taken a few clones awhile to drive out all the pests and clear out all the dust to make it inhabitable again. But it had worked.

I could have had the other houses and stores cleaned up. It just seemed wrong to do so. Let them stand as a symbol of the real nature of this village. On other hand, mother was home now. She'd want to restore the District to its former glory.

It didn't take long for mother and Snowball to join me. Snowball, typical cat, was marking everything he could touch. Cats were very territorial. Mother was looking around, she smiles at me. Though I could see in her eyes the state of most of the District, saddened her.

"Well we have a lot of work to do before we can throw the party. Your friend Naruto, he's a master at shadow clones and never seems to run out of energy. Do you think if I bribed him with ramen, he'd help us," she wondered cheerfully.

"There is nothing that loser wouldn't do for ramen," I walk over and hug her.

"Sorry about all this. It just felt wrong to disturb the dead by going into their homes," I say.

"It's alright. I might have done the same were roles reversed. It doesn't matter now. Snowball, go tell Naruto of my offer. There's a nice can of tuna in it for you, if you do," she pets Hisahi.

"TUNA," he darts off.

"… He's as fast as a cheetah when properly motivated," I say.

Mother nods. I make a couple clones. It was far from my favorite jutsu. But it could come in handy at times. Not that I was ever going to tell the idiot that. It took mother, me, and 6 clones to move all the stuff inside.

A few minutes later, Hisahi returns with Naruto. Yeah he still looked a little shell shocked at my mother coming back from the grave thing. But he was getting over it quick. It probably helps that he fought alongside his father against Madara. If anyone was used to parents coming back from the dead, it was him. He looked rather perky at the thought of free ramen.

"Hey, Sasuke your cat said you wanted help cleaning up the place. Oh hey, Sasuke's mom," he says.

"Just Mikoto is fine. But yes, we did need some help. This is going to take awhile without a lot of clones," she shakes her head in amusement.

"And if you try to paint any of our District orange, so help me loser," I growl out.

"Alright Sasuke's m-, I mean Mikoto. Jeez bastard, I wasn't going to paint it orange. But it's so damn gloomy here. Maybe I should. The color might liven it up," he says.

I smack him. Sometimes he just asked for it. "Liven it up," he said that within earshot of my mother who had been dead less than two weeks ago? Were all blondes, this stupid?!

"Owe, what was that for," he yells at me.

"For being an idiot," I say.

"Boys, we have a lot of work to do," mother smiles and makes a couple clones, showing us where all the materials were.

It took hours, even with hundreds of Naruto clones, dozens of me, and a few of mother's. She could have made more, but I didn't want her to risk overexerting herself. It was hard to tell if her chakra network was the same as before.

"Come inside Naruto, the ramen is ready and Sasuke, I made your favorite," she smiles.

"What is the bastard's favorite food anyway," Naruto says.

I twitch. Still I follow mother and the idiot inside. I couldn't resist swatting him in the back of the head. I smile smugly, when he says owe.

"Grilled cheese with tomato soup," she answers.

"… That's something a kid would like. I expected something more stuck up like, caviar or something," the idiot responds.

Yeah, some times, a man has to do what a man has to do. That merited another whack. So WHACK.

"Owe! Jesus, bastard you are so violent. Why can't you be nice like your mom," he asks.

"She's not used to dealing with you. You haven't exceeded her tolerance for stupidity yet," I say smugly as I bite into the sammich.

"He just really likes tomatoes and grilled cheese was the only thing his father could cook without setting the house on fire. So he taught Sasuke," mother chimes in.

"Oh. Guess that makes sense," Naruto says as he practically inhales his ramen.

Mother blinks. She had never seen Naruto eat ramen before. She'd get used to it.

"Yes, that's normal for him. He has no table manners. Don't mind him," I explained.

"Well we'll need to send out invitations. It's important that you get used to doing finishing touches like this Sasuke. Normally, the clan would have people who specialized in such things or your wife would help you. But since there is only the two of us," she says and pulls out a card.

Naruto sniggered, when my mother made the wife comment. I gave him a death glare and looked invitation card. It had a navy blue background, with elegant cursive lettering in a mixture of silver and ruby red lettering. It was fancy, without overdoing it.

"Well that looks pretty cool. So when is the party," Naruto asks.

"Two weeks from now. We have to give people proper notice of course and to allow them to get used to the idea that I'm back," mother answers.

"They look great," I say.

"Thank you. You aren't just saying that to make me happy," she asks.

"No. They look great," was my response and really, I didn't care particularly what the cards looked like as long as they didn't have flowers or glitter on them.

"Good. I'll mail them out immediately. Oh and Sasuke, please do try to socialize. We want to become part of the village again. We don't want a repeat of history. Dance with at least a couple of the girls and speak with a few people, besides Naruto," she smiles.

"…Mother have you MET the women of this village," I grumble.

"Can you even dance bastard," Naruto laughs.

"Of course I can dance. Better than you can. Try not to shatter Sakura's toes," I smirk.

"HEY! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW PERVY SAGE TAUGHT ME HOW TO DANCE," Naruto screams.

"Going to a strip club and watching naked women dance, does not count as an actual dancing lesson," I responded and looked at my nails in a bored fashion.

Mother shakes her head. I could tell she was more amused than angry though. Uh oh, she still looked determined about this socializing thing.

"I'm sure he can dance, preferably with his clothes ON. But please at least try, sweetheart. For me," she kisses my cheek.

Sighing, I nod. Mentally I go through the list of girls in this village. Which ones were least likely to be terrified of me and which ones were least likely to try to molest me on the dance floor? Sakura, Ino, and Karin were ruled out immediately. (My new team moved into the Leaf after the war.) That left Tenten and Hinata off the top of my head. (This is assuming Hinata doesn't faint at the sight of Naruto.) Two technically counted as a couple, right?

Two Weeks Later: Uchiha District

The celebration was in full swing. Somehow, mother had managed to make thousands of flowers bloom, at the end of fall. (This was some sort of Earth Jutsu). The flowers snaked along whatever surface they could find tastefully and came in every color imaginable. She also had crystal lanterns hanging from various cords to light up the night. Most of the party was inside, so there were a few bonfires going. Some guests were inside the main house.

This is how I could tell who was here just for "fun" or because they were curious vs. those who were major players. Mother had already walked off with the Inuzuka, Aburame, Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, and Hyuga clan heads inside the house. I'd go but given my reputation, I might do more harm than good. So I do the next best thing. I send Snowball to spy on them.

I had promised mother, I'd at least try to socialize. Alright. Who would be the least annoying? Shino barely talked so there is one. I'd probably need at least one more, to make it seem like I'd put forth a good effort. Choji, yeah he could work.

I make my way over to one of the many refreshment tables. No surprises there, Choji was chowing down on the barbecue. Well at least, I knew an icebreaker to start this conversation.

"Hey, Choji. How's the food," I ask.

Choji to his credit, though obviously skittish of me, doesn't actually flinch. Score one for his clan. Half of the people here probably would have run away screaming if I had addressed them directly.

"It's great! So you're mom's back. You must be really happy," he says awkwardly.

"You have no idea. I think she went a bit overboard with all the food. But she wanted to make sure everyone had something they'd like, I guess. So heard you got recommended for Jonin," I say.

"Yeah. After the war, pretty much everyone is kinda deserving of it. You know, just for surviving that level of crazy," he says.

"Yeah, I'd say so. They still have me being watched closely, but at least now they are letting me do some missions away from the village," was my response.

Surprisingly, Shino headed over. That was unexpected. He usually tended to stick to the sidelines. I don't think he was shy exactly. He was just very, very quiet. Quiet was good. Maybe I could get away with a simple hi and bye.

"Hey, Shino," I start.

"Sasuke. You remembered my name, unlike Naruto," he says.

I sensed a little bit of bitterness there. The loser must have forgot Shino's name at some point. Well if I could get bonus points for something as small as remembering his name, I'd take it.

"Of course. We graduated the same year. Don't mind Naruto's stupidity. He's a flake outside the battlefield," I say sipping some sake.

"Yes, I have noticed that. I'm happy for you, about getting your mother back. How did it happen," he asks.

This was actually the longest I have ever heard Shino speak. Actually, it might have been the ONLY time, I've heard him speak. I should mark this day on the Calendar as "The Day Shino Talked."

"It's a long story. The important thing is it's for good and she's healthy," I said.

"Looks like Hinata came," Choji says, while munching on some chips.

Naturally, since he mentioned it, I had to look. I almost did a double take. Naruto you really are the stupidest loser to ever walked on the planet. It was likely that Hiashi had told her to dress for the occasion. Her blue hair was down, spilling over her shoulders in a silky waterfall. She wore a sleeveless lavender gown with a modest neckline, that ended a few inches below her knees.

Still it did show more of her cleavage, than I had ever seen before. That damn jacket hid a LOT. I made a mental note to burn that jacket of hers. Not only did it hide her cleavage, but also her curves. The dress also showed off her rather nice legs. Say it with me everyone, Naruto is an idiot.

"I'll be right back. I kinda owe Hinata for keeping my mother's return under wraps until the announcement could be made," I said as I head over to her.

"Hinata," I start to say.

"Sasuke…Hi. I I wanted to tell you that I'm really happy for you and Mikoto," she smiles at me.

Well I was impressed. She managed to get through all that with only a slight stutter. Then again, maybe she grew out of it or only did it around Naruto. She might be beautiful, but she was firmly in love with him. Hmm, I guess I should step into the "best friend," role and him a shove in the right direction. Who knows? Maybe she'd mellow him out.

"Thanks. Look I kinda owe you," I say as I step closer and lean in to whisper into her ear.

"Dance with me. Naruto watches every move I make. He'll notice you then and… it as a bonus, it will probably make several heads explode," I smile.

Her lavender or silver eyes, widened in surprise. That was normal. It was doubtful I'd ever even said so much as hi to her before.
"I'd like that," she smiles.

"Great," I take her hand, VERY gently, and lead her to where some of the others were dancing.

Hinata had this softness about her. There was a gentleness that I didn't think any ninja could hang onto. I felt like I might break her or corrupt her just by touching her to be honest. My hands had a river of blood on them. (No, not literally, well at least not at the moment.) I doubt she'd ever done any fighting that wasn't training or in self defense, let alone killed anyone.

The song wasn't fast or slow. But it was catchy and rather suggestive. That worked fine for me. Hinata wraps her arms around my neck and we sway together. I twirl her when the choruses go.

Hinata may be shy verbally. But she's very graceful and flexible. Honestly, I think it's a Hyuga thing. So she was a natural dancer. She smiles as she twirls back into me, her back towards my chests and we move to the beat.

Mission accomplished. Everyone was staring at us. That included Naruto. Naruto looked like he was going to have a stroke. It wasn't jealousy. It was pure shock. Well now Hinata DEFINITELY had his attention. As a bonus, that was at least one girl down for my dancing partner. Mother would be pleased.

"Thanks for the dance; you should go talk to him. Mother wants me to try to socialize," I sigh.

"Alr-ight. Thanks for the dance, Sasuke," she smiles and I go and ask Tenten for a dance.

Dancing with Tenten, was nothing like dancing with Hinata. Tenten wasn't a bad dancer. I'd even say she was a good dancer. But she was much more aggressive. She wanted to LEAD. Which, was fine with me. It was only a three minute song anyway.

"It's amazing how fast you two organized this. It looks like it should have taken months," she says and I twirl her.

"We had help. Mother bribed Naruto with ramen. It took a lot of shadow clones, but she was determined. She wants to prove that our clan can be more than just a clan of destruction, I guess," I say and continue dancing.

"Naruto really will do anything for ramen," she shakes her head in amusement.

"You have no idea," I say and the song ends.

She was more chatty than I expected. I think seeing me dance with Hinata, had something to do with it. If I could dance with the innocent, timid Hianta and not have a psychotic break, I was "safe" enough to dance with.

I saw Snowball approaching and smiled. He heads over and fluffs my legs. I reach down and pet him, as I listen to what he found out.

"Well I did what you asked. Your mother is trying to recreate old ties or establish new ones. At this point, it's mostly trying to see who might be agreeable to hearing her out," Hiashi/Snowball says.

"Really, Sasuke… sending poor Snowball to spy on your mother and her guests? Tsk tsk," Kakashi says.

I jump about two feet. Holy fuck. How had he snuck up on me like that? I was always completely aware of my surroundings.

"The man who reads softcore erotica while leading a Genin Squad, is lecturing me on manners," I say and raise an eyebrow.

"Touche. So how is the party going," he smiles cheerfully behind his mask.

"Better than expected. Maybe the loser will finally take the hint and ask Hinata out," I say.

"I wasn't aware that you even knew who Hinata was, much less cared about her love life," Kakashi says.

"She found out about mother being back and kept the secret. I kinda owe her. That and if he gets a girlfriend, maybe he'll be less obsessed with my ass. He's like my fucking shadow," was my answer and I try to look as disinterested as possible. Kakashi was like one of his dogs. He could smell "blood."

"Ah I see. Well it's good that you are starting to make friends. My team is all grown up now," he says in fake proud voice.

"All grown up and fully able to put you in the hospital if you do anything to ruin my mother's party," I say.

"I wouldn't dream of it. Though I am afraid I'll have to inform her about Snowball's little mission," he says somberly.

"Dammit Kakashi," I say.