Not much about Uchiha Sasuke was girly. She kept herself looking like one (she was also kinda bitchy, and people thought that made her one, too). Her room, though, was basically a shrine to baseball. Posters, jerseys, framed cards, that sort of stuff. When she looked up at her treasures, it brought back feelings of joy. The type of feelings she had when she thought she could be part of the team.

All she really wanted was to join one, but her high school not only didn't allow girls on the boys' team, but didn't have a girls' team, either.

She dreamed of being a pitcher, like her big brother. Sasuke wasn't so stupid that she didn't realize she was too small and comparatively slow to do much else. But even that was an impossibility, despite how good her aim was.

Hours of practice in the backyard, emulating her bro, throwing that baseball at all angles, it was tough work, but through all the sweat and sprains, Sasuke pushed on until she never missed.

Still, it wasn't enough. Sasuke sighed to herself. She held back tears. It shouldn't be a big deal, she thought. It was just a game. But when she saw them all playing, she couldn't help but want to, too. Softball and pick-up baseball games with small, unorganized teams weren't the same.

No matter what she did, or ever could do, she was born less. She even got all 100s in school. But no, not even that was good. Itachi had always gotten the bonus questions right. They designed those things so only someone like him could. Sasuke's father never said anything about it, but that hurt the most. The silent and vacant stare said more than any words of disappointment. It was a look reserved for those who did something wrong.

Sasuke never resented her brother at all, though. She looked up to him completely. He did let her down, once. He quit the baseball team just before their big game. He hadn't spoken a word why.

They lost that year.

And now he was at college. Sasuke hadn't seen him in a while. Her big brother was probably her best friend, she realized. Whatever, she thought, resting one hand on her cheek while tapping her pencil on the desk. She stared blankly at the calculus equations. They were so easy, but tedious.

The next day.

Sasuke stared at the baseball players her age, metal chain-linked fence clutched between fingers and pressed to her face. "Naruto," she muttered, watching that scrub throw a ball to another boy. He was so talentless compared to her, yet he was on the team. Sasuke's eyebrows narrowed. The sadness created by inequality became anger and resentment.

She couldn't watch anymore.

Sasuke wandered the town until the sun began to set and dusk rolled in. She found herself at some train tracks, throwing rocks over the trees. It was too dark to see, but she pretended her skill was so high she hit every tree she guessed was there, just behind the front ones.

The dark became only a mystic-like purple air lit with a backdrop of light from stars. It was late, but Sasuke didn't want to go home. She realized she hated everything, herself, most of all. If she couldn't love herself, then she'd love nothing. There would be only the emptiness. And something inside her head snapped. It was a quick, sharp pain. She winced, feeling it again. Clenching her forehead, eyes shut, she stifled a cry, "Nngh!"

The pain went straight into her eyes. She wanted to cry out even more, but she refused. It kept throbbing, but still, she held on. Tighter and tighter her forehead got. So much. It hurt so much. And every time it got to her eyes, it hurt even more. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse. But no sound ever escaped her lips.

Sasuke lifted her head, mouth straight, and eyes now red.

Then she blacked out.

The next thing Sasuke knew, she was looking at Sakura's face. The thumping in her chest was quick and tight. To wake up to her heart's desire for the first time, it was indescribable.

"Uh, are you okay?" Sakura asked. He looked concerned. One brow was slightly raised as he glanced down into Sasuke's eyes. He was so dreamy, and not a total scrub at baseball like Naruto.

Sasuke noticed the area out of her peripherals. She was on a sidewalk on her way to school, and must have bumped into Sakura while blacked out. She looked at her clothes. Same from last night, she sighed. She then realized she should say something, but the whole situation was really confusing for her. She was not ready to confront these feelings, so she waited until Sakura was so uncomfortable, he was about to leave.

"I love you," Sasuke whispered as Sakura began to turn.

"Did you say something?" Sakura asked, turning back.

"No."

The rest of the day went by like normal. Well, as normal as sitting in class in the same clothes after doing who knows what for an entire night can be.

The next day, however, was very different. Sasuke couldn't put her finger on it, but somehow, she felt people were looking at her strangely. It was just a feeling. Very earie, like da ja vu.

In the mirror, Sasuke found her answer. Or at least, the start of it. Her eyes were glowing red, and staring back, her reflection was a boy. Somehow, she knew how to turn her pupils off. When she did, the reflection was that of a girl.

Sasuke then realized that was what all those faces were about when she went into the girl's room. "They're going to think I'm gay," Sasuke said, "or trans." Then she realized she was kinda both now. How could she not use this amazing power? It could be the only way to get close to Sakura. Would that be wrong?

Definitely.

Would tricking people into letting her pitch be okay?

Hell yeah!

So, she can trick Sakura?

Sasuke realized she might be a very bad person for considering these things, and decided to sleep on it.