DISCLAIMER: Naruto, its world, and characters © Masashi Kishimoto. I am not making any money from this fanfiction, and I wrote it purely for entertainment.
A/N: If you suddenly started shipping SaiSaku because of this fanfic, HIGH FIVE! Yes, I ship them too, either as one of my many otps or as brotp.
About Sakura's parents: When I started writing this, Road to Ninja hasn't come out yet and I had no idea Sakura's parents were still alive. Maybe I've read about it, but they weren't shown in the episodes and chapters I've seen and read and it's been years so… unfortunately, they're not alive anymore in this fanfic. Rational side of my brain should've thought about how Sakura could've lived on her own since their last academy days, but then again there's Naruto and Sasuke.
[In the middle of writing this, I read 692 to see what's happening with Sakura. All I can say is… if this update took longer than it should, blame friggin Sasuke. That piece of shit, he keeps making it hard for me to write him as a nice person.]
07 - Investigation
Sasuke suppressed the urge to yawn. After their dinner at a barbecue place last night, Naruto dragged everyone to a nearby bar to meet up with some of their friends. Shikamaru's team was already there, as well as Kiba's. Naruto had argued long and hard to convince Hyuuga Hinata's guard to let her stay until at least midnight, but he eventually gave up after the Hyuuga clan heiress herself told him she didn't want the guard to stay up late because of her. Naruto momentarily left to accompany his girlfriend and her guard back to the Hyuuga compound, and their corner of the bar became obnoxiously boisterous again once he returned.
It was already three in the morning when Sasuke stumbled into his bed, and only through sheer force of will was he able to get up and prepare for their training session that morning. His head pounded and his mouth felt dry, and he gladly accepted the hydrating solution his mother made him during breakfast.
He spotted several children playing down the road, and he moved to his left to avoid their crooked hopscotch court. They greeted him as he passed by, and one of them— a boy he recognized as their neighbor baker's son— followed him.
"Sasuke-nii-chan," he said as he jogged along. "Are you really getting married?"
Sasuke laid his forehead on his hand. Since when did kids become gossip mongers?
"No," he answered as he straightened up. "Who said that?"
"Then it's Itachi-nii-san?" The kid asked.
Sasuke frowned. He had never heard his parents or his brother talk about marriage recently.
"I don't think so," Sasuke replied. "What makes you ask that?"
"The aunties are all talking about it," the boy said. "They said they saw Fugaku-sama leave your house with a girl and walked with her out of the compound."
Ah.
"That's just my friend, probably," Sasuke muttered. "It's nothing," he told the boy. "Go back to playing."
Returning a short reply to the compound's gate guards who greeted him on his way out, Sasuke crossed his arms. Sakura had never mentioned his father walking out with her. His mother most likely put him up to it. It could be the reason why Sakura last night downed more alcohol than he normally saw her imbibe.
Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. He would have to ask for more details later. Dangerous as it was, there's entertainment in seeing her ticked off. He would just have to make it so that her fury and irritation was directed at someone else.
Good thing he had an idiot for a teammate.
Going through her grocery shopping list, Sakura put a hand over her mouth as she yawned. She had promised Naruto and the others that she'd make them lunch bento boxes for their training session today, and currently her fridge was lacking hence the trip to the market.
"Good morning, Haruno-san."
Said person lifted her head. If she remembered correctly, the woman was the mother of one of her last patients. On the left shoulder of her dark kimono was the fan symbol of the Uchiha clan.
Yup, it's her alright.
Uchiha Keiko. While the mother had been mostly quiet despite her deep worry, her son fidgeted and complained and kept jumping off of the hospital bed whenever he had a chance, insisting he was fine and that although he lost 'some' blood, he was perfectly capable of even going out for another mission.
She promptly knocked him out with a flick of a finger on his forehead and made him stay in the hospital for three days and strictly had him get bed rest at home for another three.
"Thank you for taking care of my son," the woman's voice pulled Sakura from her internal 'pat on the back'. "He's now well enough for Hokage-sama to send him on another mission."
"Ah, that's good," Sakura said, smiling. "Hopefully he comes back unscathed this time. It's not too long ago when he just became a genin."
"I was going to drop by the hospital today to give this to you, but it's a good thing I came across you now."
The woman separated an item from her groceries and handed Sakura a sizeable paper box decorated with cherry blossoms in ink wash style.
"Please have this," she said with a smile. "I hope this is alright?"
Sakura panicked as she awkwardly accepted the gift. Her ears went hotter as she saw that it contained a muskmelon. She didn't want to think how much it cost the woman.
"T-thank you," she stammered. "You didn't have to bother..."
"This is the least I could do," the woman said with a graceful wave of her hand. "Are you out shopping for groceries?"
As much as Sakura tried to get out of her situation, the woman brought her to a produce store. The owner was a friend of hers, apparently, and she came from the Uchiha clan as well. When both women found out that Sakura was planning on preparing bento boxes for her friends, they gave her more than Sakura ever planned to use and refused to accept any payments as she's making Sasuke food as well.
Hell, Sakura just thought of bringing over octopus sausages, sweet egg rolls, and maybe cucumber and carrot salad. Now she could make a small feast with all the groceries she's carrying. Her hands were so full she was forced to not carry her chakra control training device.
Just when Sakura thought she had finally gotten out of a weirdly awkward situation, she was called over by a wine shop owner. She had no idea who he was, but he acted like he was at least familiar with her.
Sakura shrugged her confusion off. So far she's the only one in Konoha who had pink hair— natural, too. The shop owner must've remembered her for that.
"Gone shopping, eh?" The middle-aged man asked.
"Y-yes," Sakura answered, nodding her head. "Uh... Uchiha Keiko-san? She and her friend—"
"Ah, Shiho-baa-san!" The man said with a smile. "They're kind folks, aren't they?"
"Y-Yes," Sakura said. "They practically gave me all of these for free... said it was because I was making meals for Sasuke-kun and our friends."
"Hmm, that's thoughtful of you, Haruno-san," the man said as he rubbed his chin. "Say, I just re-stocked my store. You should see which one you'd like! I'm Uchiha Saburo, by the way, cousins with Fugaku-sama through our mothers."
Sakura spluttered on her excuse, saying she can't bring sake over when her friends were training, but the owner only laughed and said they can drink it any other time.
Sakura glanced over at the various bottles and jugs on display.
"Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a cup of daiginjo before the party?" She muttered.
"Having a party soon?" The owner asked.
"A-ah, yeah," Sakura answered sheepishly. "We're celebrating my birthday soon…"
"Oho!" The owner clapped his hands. "How old are you turning, Haruno-san? If it's alright to ask?"
"It's alright," Sakura said. "I'm turning eighteen."
The owner rubbed his chin once more, suddenly looking even more interested.
"Well then!" He said as he gestured to a shelf full of bottles of Junmai Daiginjo sake. "A young lady turning eighteen is a very special occasion indeed."
Sakura quickly shook her head. Junmai Daiginjo was the best of the best of sake, and she was sure the contents of her wallet weren't enough to pay for a bottle of what the owner was holding up for her to see.
"Ah, don't fret, don't fret," the owner laughed. He then expertly wrapped the bottle with a black furoshiki with gold and silver cherry blossoms design. "Advanced happy birthday, Haruno-san," the owner grinned. "Please say hello to Sasuke-san for me."
Profusely thanking the owner for the free wine, Sakura shakily left the store to head back home. Was it 'be a nice Uchiha' day today? In all her years of being Sasuke's friend, this was the only time she had received free items and gifts from an Uchiha clan member who wasn't named 'Mikoto'. Hell, just the mere fact that they initiated a conversation with her was enough to baffle Sakura.
"Good morning, Haruno-san!"
Looking up distractedly, Sakura saw a young couple with their toddler daughter standing before a sweets shop. She had no idea who they were, but the large Uchiha symbol on the girl's shirt was enough to have an idea.
Sakura greeted them back with a polite smile before continuing her walk. She had barely gone several feet when an old man greeted her. It was a vague memory, but if she wasn't mistaken he had visited the hospital while wearing a kimono with an Uchiha clan symbol on his back.
'Just what the hell is going on?!'
Her bewilderment only grew and grew as she came across more dark-eyed and dark-haired people even at the street leading to her apartment. Some faces were familiar, though most of them weren't. Some greeted her, while others only watched her carefully, as if studying her.
Resolving that she'd later ask Sasuke what was going on, Sakura quickened her pace.
"Haruno-san."
Biting back a scream of frustration, Sakura stopped on her tracks. Two teenagers in Konoha shinobi uniform had paused infront of her.
"Those things look heavy," the taller girl said. "Please let us help you. I'm Uchiha Aki, by the way, and this is my friend Uchiha Haru."
"Ah…" Sakura said, mentally slapping herself. Who else did she expect? "D-Don't worry, I can handle these—"
"It's alright," the other girl, Haru, gave her a small smile.
Highly tempted to lift the wooden cart not too far away from them to prove she's more than capable of carrying her own things, Sakura instead let the two girls take at the most her paper bags of groceries.
"Thank you…" she mumbled, and she led the way to her apartment building.
"Ne, Haruno-san," Uchiha Aki said. "Is it true you spent about an hour fighting the Akatsuki Sasori?"
"More or less," Sakura answered. She bit the side of her cheek. Until now she wished she had made more antidotes. Sunagakure's Chiyo-baa-sama still would've died to bring back Gaara's life, but she could've at least made it hurt a hell lot less.
"Wow…" the other girl, Haru, murmured. "Haruno-san, do you think you can beat another Akatsuki member?"
"That's a stretch," Sakura laughed awkwardly. "I only got lucky because Chiyo-baa-sama, who's both a healer and a puppet-master, was with me. You'd need more than two people to defeat an S-class ninja."
"Then, if you go with Sasuke-san and your team, you'd definitely defeat another one, right?"
"Yeah, I'm sure!" The taller girl said, her earlier solemn façade breaking. "Aaah, I'm so jealous, Haruno-san, Godaime Hokage-sama herself taught you all she knows…"
"You're no good with ninjutsu, anyway," the other girl teased.
The two girls began squabbling, and Sakura couldn't help but genuinely laugh as she remembered her best friend-slash-rival.
"Sorry," Sakura's cheeks reddened as the two girls looked at her. "I just remembered my best friend, Ino."
"Yamanaka-san?" Uchiha Aki said. "I haven't had the chance to work with her yet. "
"I know someone who has," Uchiha Haru said. "He mentioned she's great for scouting because of her Shintenshin technique."
Sakura gently tapped the tall girl on her shoulder.
"I'm good here," she said as she gestured to the stairs going up her apartment. "Thanks for helping me."
The two girls insisted on bringing her groceries at least to her doorstep, and Sakura clamped her mouth shut and prevented a sigh from coming. When she finally opened her apartment's door she thanked the two once more.
"Haruno-san," Uchiha Aki fidgeted. "Do you… do you think we could spar at least one time?"
Uchiha Haru elbowed her. "Sorry," she told Sakura. "Aki tends to take on things and people who are out of her league."
"I don't really mind," Sakura said. "But… we might have to wait until after my special training."
The two girls stared at her in surprise, as if realizing something.
"Of course!" The taller girl said. "Thank you, Haruno-san!"
"It was a nice meeting you, Haruno-san," Uchiha Haru gave her another small smile.
After giving her a low bow, they left Sakura by her doorstep, wondering what the hell had happened that made her come across the most number of Uchihas outside of their clan's compound.
Naruto scratched his stomach as he let out a wide yawn. The instant ramen he had for breakfast wasn't enough, and he wondered if he should stop by a store to get some take-out food. Why couldn't Ichiraku be open first thing in the morning?
He stopped by a convenience store and got two steamed pork buns. Naruto had wanted to buy instant ramen, but the owner gave him a hard sell on the pork buns that he had just taken out from the kitchen at the back of the store.
"If it isn't the Uzumaki boy," an old man's voice stopped Naruto in his walk.
Seeing the old man, Naruto headed over to him with a wide grin.
"Jiji," he happily greeted. He was an old man from the Uchiha clan who liked giving away candies to the neighbor kids and sometimes even adults, and Naruto had gotten quite a few from him. Despite his strict-looking face, he's quite friendly if you stopped and talked with him. "I didn't know you do your morning walks outside of the compound."
"I thought it'd be nice to have a change of scenery once in a while," the old man said. "Out for training?"
"Yup!" Naruto answered. "Kakashi-sensei's coming, too, so it's going to be tough today. Then, Sakura-chan's bringing over lunch bento."
The old man nodded in approval.
"How is the Haruno kid's cooking?" He asked.
"Well… she's improved a lot," Naruto admitted. "Uh, don't tell her I said that, though."
"Of course," the old man said. "And how is she with household chores?"
"Sakura's pretty clean and organized," Naruto said as he scratched his head. The question confused him as it seemed out of place, but then again the old man's from a pretty conservative clan.
"I see," the old man nodded his head once more. "Would you know how she feels about marriage and having a family?"
Naruto's eyes widened as he understood why the old man was asking such questions.
"Old man, I didn't know you knew Sakura-chan's birthday's coming up!" Naruto clapped the old man's back. And Sasuke and their friends didn't think he's good enough to be perceptive? Hah! "Geez, you Uchiha are so traditional. Just because Sakura-chan's turning eighteen in a few days doesn't mean she should get married soon."
Not wanting to be late for their training session, Naruto bade goodbye to the old man and left at a run. He had no idea how he knew Sakura's birthday was coming up, but he figured as he's close with Sasuke's father he must've overhead it.
Naruto took the last bite of his steamed pork buns. He couldn't wait to eat Sakura-chan's bento box. That, and he had purchased something else from the convenience store that he was looking forward to using later.
Knowing he still had time before the start of their training session, Sai decided to drop by a stationery store to re-stock on ink and paintbrushes. He also needed more tubes of green, red, and white paint for the gift he was making for Hag.
He rested his chin between his thumb and index finger. Should he perhaps change the angle to make it more dramatic? He still had time before her birthday. He was close to finishing his original gift for his friend— Sai couldn't help but smile at that— and he had decided recently to paint another gift as congratulations on her passing the ANBU tests.
"Morning!" The owner of the shop greeted him. She was just about to flip the store's sign to read 'Open, Please Come In'. "The usual?" She asked.
"Yes, please," Sai said as he followed her inside the store. "Plus other things."
After making his purchase, Sai exited the store.
"Ah, it's the pale guy."
Sai turned his head and saw the guy who had been training Hag in Uchiha Itachi's place. She had mentioned his name was 'Shisui'.
"Uchiha Shisui, right?" Sai said.
"Yup," the guy answered with a grin. "Sai, right?"
"Yes," Sai replied, lifting the corners of his lips. It was always polite to greet another person with a smile in casual situations. He had read enough books to know the importance of smiles as more often than not it gains the other person's trust and results in favorable conversations and actions, but somehow he found it hard for him to do the action genuinely.
"Out on a date?"
Sai faced the guy fully. He hadn't known the man prior to seeing him the first time when he picked up Sakura a couple of days back. He supposed he was just making small talk, but based on his experience, only old people and aunties from stores asked such a question.
Was the guy fishing for a date with him?
"Sorry," Sai said. "You will have to look for another person."
The guy stared at him with a confused expression. Did he take his question wrong?
"Ah, sorry, sorry," the guy laughed awkwardly. "I didn't mean it like that."
Sai sent him a polite smile. "Okay."
"You and Sakura-chan are pretty close, aren't you?" The guy said as he scratched his head. "You're always there to pick her up after training. You even don't mind touching her when she's all sweaty and dirty."
"It was nothing," Sai answered. "Unlike the other dickless men of Konoha, I can face a girl even on her bad day. It's rude not to help just because you think she's disgusting."
"True, true…" the guy scratched his head once more. "Say," he said. "By any chance, are you in a relationship with Sakura-chan?"
Sai looked away as his cheeks heated up and he slipped into a genuine smile. His current teammates had hated him when they first met, and everything he said aggravated them one way or another. He hadn't really cared before, as he had been trained to hold no emotions and disregard bonds between people.
But as he spent more time with them, he decided the relationship Team Seven has was something he wanted to experience. They reminded him of the only person in ROOT he had come to regard as a 'brother', and he eventually figured he didn't want to stop being with them especially after they've regarded him as their 'friend'.
Sai turned back to the guy to answer, hoping his momentary pause didn't result in a misunderstanding. But he was a tad too late as Uchiha Shisui was already gone.
Resuming his walk towards the training grounds, Sai took note to answer faster so people with paper-thin patience wouldn't just walk out.
It was still awfully rude of that guy, though. He would have to call him 'chicken feet' next time.
Thumb hooking under the next page, Kakashi ambled down the street on the way to their team's favorite training ground. He was probably late by now, but everyone expected that already and so he made no effort to hasten his pace.
Whenever Kakashi was busy reading one of his beloved Icha Icha books, he never bothered to look up to check what's going on around him no matter what. There's nothing else that could possibly be more interesting than what was happening between Hiro-kun and Sayo-chan.
That is, until he overheard several girls utter and sigh a certain name.
"Yo," Kakashi greeted, raising a hand. "How is Sakura holding up with her training?"
Kakashi glanced at Uchiha Itachi's left arm. He had several bags of purchased items from different stores, but he carried them all with his right hand. Did Sakura injure him bad enough to not heal quickly? The Uchiha clan head wouldn't appreciate that at all. Poor Sakura.
"She's doing fine," Itachi answered, his eyes narrowing the slightest.
"Ah, I know the truth," Kakashi smiled, pertaining to his knowledge of Sakura passing her ANBU tests. "I never told Sasuke and the others, though."
Just how exactly did Sakura pass her last test? And get Uchiha Itachi's code word, most especially. The guy was so efficient and formidable that he's the sole member of his own team. As far as Kakashi knew, he and Sakura rarely talked with each other, and he doubted Uchiha Itachi would give up his code without any fight even if Sakura was his brother's close friend.
"It must be a pretty interesting story," Kakashi commented. "How Sakura got a code word."
Sensing the guy's chakra shift ever so faintly, Kakashi let out another chuckle.
"I'm pretty late for our training with Sasuke-kun and the others," he said. "I'll be going on ahead."
"Hatake-san."
'My, my,' Kakashi thought. 'He's still sore about it, isn't he?'
"Your team is exceptionally tight-knit," Uchiha Itachi noted.
Kakashi recalled Naruto complaining that Sasuke's brother was so inconsiderate of Sakura and that it was a good thing they've all agreed beforehand to pick her up at the end of the day, otherwise the poor kunoichi wouldn't be able to go home on her own.
"They've been friends since their Academy days," Kakashi replied. "It's not really surprising. And even if he's relatively new, since Sai's making an effort to learn and feel emotions and form bonds that he wasn't allowed to have before, Sakura and the others decided he's one of them as well."
It was barely perceptible, but Kakashi didn't fail to notice it— at the mention of Sai's name, Itachi's left hand twitched.
Or maybe he was just imagining it. Perhaps as Itachi seemed to be still recovering from an injury, it might have just moved on its own.
Sometimes Kakashi wondered if his keen observation skills were making him a tad paranoid.
"Anything else?" Kakashi asked the guy. "Sakura will drop by later. Want to pass any word to her?"
"No, thank you for the offer," Uchiha Itachi said. "Good day, Hatake-san."
The Uchiha prodigy left, walking the opposite way. Kakashi watched him for a couple of moments before continuing his way towards the training grounds.
Whenever he'd get the opportunity, he'd definitely ask Sakura how she got Uchiha Itachi's code.
Sakura had planned to get to her team's favorite training ground with enough time to watch them spar. But the dishes she had planned to prepare increased, and on her way she came across more Uchiha clan members. Some of them she had seen either at the hospital or at the Uchiha clan compound, but most were strangers to her. Thankfully nearly everyone only observed her, but occasionally she had to stop to talk with the ones who had greeted her and started a conversation. She still had her manners, after all, and she knew very well how snippy an Uchiha can get when even the slightest bit offended.
"Yo," Kakashi greeted her from the shade of the nearby woods.
Sai was nearby, capturing in ink Naruto and Sasuke's spar. The ground wasn't as badly mangled as when she's training with them, but it still showed signs of destruction from Rasengan and Katon attacks.
Settling between Kakashi and Sai, Sakura practiced summoning Tsunade's chakra training device and making it stable from a distance.
"You're using chakra armor on it?" Kakashi asked.
"Sort of," Sakura admitted. Tsunade had never instructed her coat the outside with a chakra barrier, but she's never forbidden to do so, either. "The sphere cracks if it gets handled even just a bit roughly."
Naruto and Sasuke both crashed to the ground, sending up dust clouds and bits of soil.
"Looks like a tie," Kakashi said as he got up to his feet.
"I won that time!" Naruto jumps up. "The bastard hit the ground first!"
"Loudmouth," Sasuke marched over to where Sakura and the others were. "Your head's buried on the ground even before my feet touched it."
"YOU!"
Kakashi snapped his book shut, and everyone looked at him in attention.
"We still have time before noon," Kakashi said with a smile. "Sakura, would you mind training with everyone?"
"Eh?" Sakura perked up. "But… I'm supposed to do only chakra manipulation training today…"
"Then everyone will just have to target your device constantly."
Sakura grinned. She missed working with her team, anyway. "I guess a short one won't hurt."
She moved the stack of bento right next to a tree, and everyone stood in a semi-circle facing Kakashi.
"The time limit is five minutes," he said, and he gently tapped his hitai-ate. "Everyone pull down your forehead protectors to your necks. The goal is to collect the most, and if you win you will be the leader in our next mission together. I'll personally convince Hokage-sama if she protests."
Naruto slammed a fist to an open palm.
"Alright," he grinned. "Let's do this!"
"I'm not yet done, Naruto," Kakashi said. "Anyone who doesn't have any hitai-ate with them will cover half of the total expenses at Sakura's birthday celebration. Otherwise, those who only have their own hitai-ate will split the cost of Choji's meal."
Everyone swallowed nervously. Akimichi Choji, who was Ino and Shikamaru's teammate, can eat up a restaurant's entire stock of meat without any problem. Ply him with alcohol and he'd eat even more.
"Those conditions aren't fair for me, though, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura frowned. She's currently off the mission assignment list until Uchiha Itachi decided she can start working as an ANBU reserve, and she would have to take note of everyone's hitai-ate apart from protecting her own and her chakra training device.
"Then, if Sakura wins," Kakashi said. "Everyone will pay for Choji's meal and half of the remaining bill."
"Deal!" Sakura said.
"Last thing," Kakashi said as he stepped away from the circle. "You can only get a hitai-ate from its original owner. That means no stealing what's already been taken."
Strengthening the chakra armor around her training device, Sakura eyed her teammates carefully. Naruto always utilized the Kage Bunshin technique, so going after him would be trickiest. Sasuke had the pesky Sharingan, and if she wanted to have even a bit of chance she would have to have access to both her hands at least. That left her with Sai. He's faster than her and knew more ninjutsu that he could use for offense, but if she was careful and constantly planned ahead she can manage it.
Bringing her chakra training device closer to her body, Sakura crouched lower, ready to attack any time. Kakashi raised a hand as a go signal, and Naruto and Sasuke immediately lunged for each other's hitai-ate.
Quickly concentrating chakra on her right foot, Sakura created a crater with enough force to make her teammates momentarily lose their balance. Sakura grasped for the tail of Sai's forehead protector, but he recovered faster than she could attack and jumped out of her reach. Gritting her teeth, she ran after Sai.
A kunai whistled by her neck, and Sakura inwardly thanked kami that she put chakra armor on her training device as another kunai struck it.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan!" Naruto— or a clone of his— rushed towards her. Some ways away from them, Sasuke faced off with orange-clad triplets.
Bringing the glass sphere closer to her body, Sakura caught Naruto by the back of her knee and hurled him down to the ground. Just as the clone disappeared with a puff of smoke, Sai slashed his tanto towards her neck, its blade scratching the metal plate of her hitai-ate. Not wanting to lose her chance, Sakura hooked Sai's arm with hers and threw her sphere into the air. She grabbed his forehead protector near its knot, and with a scream of 'SHANNAROOOOO!', she tore it off of his neck as she hurtled Sai's body far from her. She caught her sphere just as it was about to hit the ground.
"One down," Sakura panted. "If can I get at least another one, I'd have more money for shopping."
Gathering more chakra in her hands, Sakura charged over to Naruto.
It was only a five-minute battle royal, but all four of them needed some time to recover their breath after Kakashi signaled the end of their match.
Naruto smirked, and Sasuke shot him a dark glare. Sai had successfully gotten Naruto's hitai-ate, but Naruto managed to grab Sakura's and Sasuke's, leaving the Uchiha the punishment of paying for half of Sakura's birthday celebration costs.
Sakura couldn't help but giggle. When the four of them were locked with Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke holding on to each others' hitai-ate, Sakura stomped her left foot, causing a small crater that unbalanced everyone towards her and Sai. Tightening her hold on the cloth of Sasuke's forehead protector, she heaved him towards the artist nin. Sasuke blanched as he realized what his trajectory would do, and Sakura hooked two fingers at one of the tails of his hitai-ate. Unfortunately, Naruto was faster and used a kunai to tear the cloth and grab it by the metal plate before Sakura could snatch it again. Naruto's distraction lead to Sai grabbing his hitai-ate as he sidestepped Sasuke, but Naruto didn't mind it as he had already gotten Sakura's forehead protector earlier.
"Sorry, Sasuke-kun," Sakura gave him an apologetic smile. "It wouldn't have worked if I pulled Sai, instead."
Based on blank stare, Sai indeed didn't understand what Sakura had meant.
"Lunch time!" Naruto announced as he bounded over to the bento boxes Sakura had brought with her. He quickly undid the furoshiki wrapping and started distributing the lunch packs.
They all settled in their chosen seats by the shade of the trees, and Naruto exclaimed in delight as he opened his bento.
"Thanks for the food, Sakura-chan!" He grinned.
Sakura started with her own meal, having skipped breakfast earlier to do her grocery shopping. Kakashi and Sai began eating their food as well, but Sakura noticed that Naruto was constantly glancing at Sasuke, as if waiting for something.
"What are you staring at?" Sasuke eyed him suspiciously. Sakura was curious as well.
"Bastard," Naruto said. "I'm waiting for your fat mouth to start complaining about Sakura-chan's cooking like last time."
"I didn't complain about her cooking," Sasuke said with a frown. "I only said she should start considering the taste some more."
"Well," Sakura crossed her arms in annoyance as she remembered that time. "With the way you had said it, you sure sounded like an overbearing mother-in-law."
"Don't worry, Duck Butt," Sai quipped. "It doesn't taste like spoiled dog food this time."
Sakura made a grab for Sai's neck, but he easily dodged it by leaning to his side.
Sasuke picked at one of the meatballs and inspected it. Sakura sent him a threatening glare coupled with a short growl, and he finally opened his mouth.
Eyes sharpening, Sasuke flung the meatball straight to Naruto's mouth. Sakura let out a protest as Naruto choked and forcefully swallowed the food whole. Nobody had dared throw her food away, and she wasn't going to let Sasuke get away with it.
Sakura was still shouting at Sasuke when she noticed Naruto's face turning bright red and, in a matter of seconds, he's covered in sweat.
"You're a thousand years too early to play a cheap prank on me, idiot," Sasuke told Naruto, and he switched his and Naruto's bento boxes.
Grumbling at being caught, Naruto now had to pick on his meal lest he had another mouthful of S-grade chili sauce.
"Ne, Sakura," Kakashi said as Sasuke finally started eating. "How is your special training going?"
"It's going fine, I think…" Sakura answered. "I hope I'm getting better. It's only been a couple of days, though..."
"Oh yeah," Naruto said as he held his chopsticks inches from his mouth. "Sai, you better have not forgotten to pick up Sakura-chan after her training with the bastard's brother!"
"Naruto," Sai said. "Please don't compare me to Kakashi-san. That's rude."
"Hey now," Kakashi said in mock hurt.
"I still don't understand why Sai gets to help you in the bath," Naruto said. "While when you go get changed during missions you'd kill us if we see even just the top of your head over the bushes."
"Again with that?" Sakura groaned.
"We won't be able to get Hag after her training starting tomorrow, though," Sai said.
Naruto crossed his arms as he closed his eyes in deep thought.
"I'll be fine," Sakura said. And before Naruto could object, she added, "And if I can't walk on my own I'll just have to rest a bit. Besides, the compound is not that too far from where I live."
Sakura caught Kakashi with an expression of amusement on his face, and she quirked an eyebrow as if in askance. Kakashi only gave her one of his 'at ease' smiles before continuing with his food.
"Sakura," Sasuke spoke up. "I heard that father walked with you to your apartment."
Both Naruto and Sakura choked on their food, and Sakura quickly reached for her bottle of water. She had told absolutely no one about the most awkward walk of her life, and she had hoped and prayed nobody told her friends about it.
"That's gotta be the worst," Naruto said. His face was pale, and Sakura's pallor matched his. "Why did the bastard's father drop you off, anyway?"
"Mikoto-san told him to," Sakura said, now losing her appetite.
"Wait, didn't Sai pick you up yesterday?" Naruto asked.
Sakura felt a headache coming in any time soon.
"It was in the morning," she said, and as Naruto's eyes bugged out she immediately regretted not changing the subject.
"Morning?" Naruto said. "But you were training all day, right? Why would he drop you off… unless… SAKURA-CHAN YOU STAYED OVER AT THEIR HOUSE?!"
Right eye twitching, Sakura took a deep breath. She glowered at Sasuke, who insisted on keeping up a straight face. If she didn't need an answer from him she'd have throttled the guy right then and there. He wasn't as crafty as he'd like to think.
"Yes, Naruto, I did," Sakura sighed. She raised a hand to shush him. "I had a good reason to stay there. ANYWAY," she smirked at Sasuke's direction. "During breakfast, Mikoto-san and Fugaku-san—"
"Sakura," Sasuke gritted his teeth.
"What happened?" Naruto asked eagerly. Kakashi looked interested as well, while Sai paused in eating his meal to listen.
And they said only women gossiped.
"Sakura," Sasuke's warning tone came once more. "Unless you want them to know exactly why you spent the night in nii-san's room, shut up."
Naruto's jaw dropped and Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. Sai only tilted his head, not understanding his two teammates' reactions.
"S-S-Sakura-chan," Naruto stuttered. "Don't tell me you and the bastard's brother—"
Burning bright red, Sakura swiftly knocked on Naruto's head with her fist. Her chopsticks broke with the action, but Sakura didn't even notice.
"I only stayed because I made a mistake as a medic!" Sakura shouted. "Get your head out of the gutter! And I mostly slept outside because I was doing chakra manipulation training until I fell asleep! Sasuke! This is your fault! Don't make them misunderstand, damn it!"
Kakashi let out a chuckle while Naruto let out a sigh of relief. Sasuke looked pleased with himself, until Sakura gathered more chakra on her fist.
"And while we're talking about Uchiha people," Sakura said. "What the hell's up with your clan? All of a sudden they're all over the place! It's like they're going to execute a coup d'état anytime soon!"
Sasuke was about to retort, but then he paused as he seemed to recall something in his mind. Sakura repeatedly tapped a finger on her knee, holding on to her patience as tightly as she could.
"Come to think of it, I saw the candy jiji on my way here," Naruto commented. "I've never seen him outside the Uchiha compound before."
"I came across that Uchiha Shisui before I got here," Sai said. "But other than him, I don't think I came across another Uchiha."
"Well…" Kakashi said. "I was busy reading my book so I didn't notice any other Uchiha, but I did come across your brother, Sasuke."
"Your clan having a change in attitude?" Naruto smirked. "If you Uchiha didn't have the military police, I bet you'd beat the Hyuuga clan in being the most secluded group of people in the history of Konoha."
"Shut your mouth," Sasuke told Naruto. "And I didn't know we're not allowed to walk beyond our walls."
"I'm not saying that," Sakura crossed her arms. "It's just really weird that out of the blue Uchiha people started talking to me, and I swear many of them were observing my every move."
Naruto shuddered. "That's seriously creepy, man," he said. "That's it— your clan's way worse than the Hyuuga clan."
Everyone had expected Sasuke to slap Naruto's head upside, and Naruto had even raised his arms to block the anticipated attack, but Sasuke remained still in his seat. All the color from his face disappeared until he's possibly as pale as Sai. Muttering an excuse and saying he'd ask around about it, he sped off.
Naruto scratched his head.
"He probably got the shits," he said with glee, and he cheered as he grabbed for Sasuke's bento. "More food for me!"
Sakura let out a breath. As much as she wanted to know why Sasuke had reacted as such, she'd get better results if she waited until he'd gotten more information.
Ignoring the dread growing in her stomach, she resumed eating her lunch.
Shisui stilled his right leg with a firm hand on his knee. Ever since he's seated with Itachi to talk with him in private, his leg's been bouncing like mad, and he hadn't really noticed it until Itachi cleared his throat and Shisui saw that he's eyeing his leg with a slight frown.
He let out a sigh. He had high hopes for his best friend. Itachi had never shown any interest like this on anyone, and Shisui had been rooting for Itachi from the day he noticed Itachi's feelings for a certain pink-haired medic. He had been doing what a great best friend would do— encouraging him to talk more with the girl, be nicer to her, and suck up his nervousness and just ask her out. Most of his advice had been ignored, but he was happy that Itachi's been making some progress after he started training Sakura for ANBU.
How was he going to break the bad news to Itachi, now?
"Shisui," Itachi said. "If you're in trouble, you know you can rely on me."
Shisui let out a chuckle. Here he was, stressing on how to tell Itachi about Sakura and her boyfriend, and yet his best friend thinks he's the one who's got a problem instead.
"Itachi," Shisui finally spoke up. He couldn't help but smile. There have been times when he thought Itachi can be an idiot, but here he was throwing the rational part of his brain. "Don't be stupid and make Sakura hate you again, alright? And… if you get stuck, who knows, maybe Sasuke will help you."
Itachi observed him in silence, and Shisui scratched his head as he let out another low laugh.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I thought I'd give some advice before I leave."
Shisui poured himself some sake and downed the whole cup. He got to his feet and secured the ANBU mask on his face.
"Shisui," Itachi said.
Said guy turned to him."Yeah?"
"Have you talked with Hana-san?"
He cocked his head to the side. What was Itachi on about?
"About what?" He asked.
Itachi rose to his feet as well. He placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder and looked straight at his eyes.
"If you're going on a mission you're not even certain you'll come home after," Itachi said. "It'd be best if you have one last meaningful moment with your significant other before you leave."
He couldn't help it. Shisui burst out into such a bout of laughter that he was soon doubled over and clutching his stomach. Itachi stepped back from him, and when Shisui saw his mildly irritated face he broke into another fit.
"Itachi," Shisui struggled to breathe. "I'm not going out on a suicide mission. I'm just worried that you'd do something stupid and ruin your chance with Sakura-chan."
Taking a deep breath, Shisui clapped Itachi on his shoulder.
"Good luck, Itachi," he said, and he leapt over the wall beyond Itachi's garden.
Jumping from roof to roof of the houses at the Uchiha compound, Shisui reached up and readjusted his mask. Perhaps it was a foolish decision on his part, but he didn't want Itachi to give up even before he's dared say anything. After all, Itachi was the one who had made it possible for him to be with Hana even though the clan elders were against him marrying an outsider, being one of the clan's best members.
He just hoped Itachi wouldn't find out about Sakura and Sai's relationship before he could find his courage.
... to be continued ...
Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Reviews and +fav are highly appreciated. So is shipping Sakura with Itachi or Sai or even both.
