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He doesn't get a wink of real sleep. The entire night he keeps thinking, panicking really, about Hinata liking him and him liking her back.
What is he supposed to do? Just the idea of going on a date with her, the idea of her being his girlfriend, paralyses him with fear. Yet he doesn't want to hurt her either, he so desperately doesn't want to hurt her.
He will if he tells her he doesn't want to date her. And telling her that would be a lie. He does want to date her. A lot.
He just can't even think of it without having a panic attack.
When he realises normal sleep won't come, he goes for the sleep of a mission. More specifically, the sleep of being in enemy territory. Every sound wakes him up.
The result sleeping like that at home is feeling like a mental wreck in the morning.
"Wow, you look like crap."
He can't even summon a real glare for the idiot. He can, however, get coffee.
"Seriously, what happened with–"
"I will shove a chidori so far up your ass you'll be tasting lightning."
The idiot lets out an impressed whistle. Mari lets out a startled chuckle. Both of them keep looking at him with worry.
Kakashi, on the other hand, is acting like nothing unusual is going on. Sasuke would be more grateful for that if Kakashi hadn't looked at him in a telling way when he returned home yesterday. Kakashi knows exactly what happened between him and Hinata.
Kakashi's deduction skills suck so much. His habit of not sharing what he knows can be a true blessing, though. Emphasis on can be.
"That's rude, Sasu-nii," Rin says, because if she gets called out on being rude, so should everyone else.
"Are you okay, Sasu-nii?" Obito asks, looking at him with worry. Sasuke bites back a reflexive retort and drinks his coffee to buy some time. And to get some much needed energy. When he feels ready to speak calmly, he answers Obito's question.
"I didn't sleep well."
Rin nods, satisfied with the explanation. Not sleeping well means you get leeway on being rude.
Obito becomes more concerned. Should've guessed that would happen.
Obito gets off his chair and ignores the protesting sound his sister lets out. He walks over and hugs him. Well, the munchkin hugs his leg. Then he looks up at him with his most serious expression. The adorable sight inspires a flicker of humor.
"I can kiss it better, Sasu-nii."
Sasuke feels his lips quirk. He bends down to pick up Obito.
"A kiss would be nice."
Obito, after wiping his mouth to prevent his kisses from being of the wet variety, takes holds of his face with tiny hands and, wearing a look of intense concentration, gives his cheek several firm kisses. While it doesn't do as much as Obito wants by far, it does make him feel a little better.
After he finishes 'kissing it better', Obito aims his most serious expression at Mari.
"You kiss it better too, Mommy."
Mari's smile is warm as she looks at Obito. Then she raises a brow at him. Asking if he feels like playing along or not.
He must really look awful if she's asking instead of assuming. He thought he did a decent enough job of hiding it before coming down, but apparently not.
He goes over and offers her his cheek. The kiss she drops on it has no effect, but the gentle squeeze she gives his hand does make him feel better. It always does.
Obito demands Kakashi and Rin kiss it better too. Kakashi kisses his hand like he's a civilian damsel from one of his novels. Rin gives his cheek a single thorough kiss. Wanting him to feel better but also wanting her brother to sit back down and finish breakfast.
Obito beams, so very pleased with himself.
Naruto is wistful. Hurt by Obito's exclusion, despite knowing it's natural. Sasuke resigns himself to another kiss.
He walks over and bends down while giving the idiot a look that tells him to get it over with. Naruto, surprised only for the briefest of moments, becomes ridiculously touched. He gives him a grin that's as warm as it is playful, and kisses his cheek as dramatically as Kakashi did his hand. Sasuke rolls his eyes, but there's a smile tugging at his lips as well.
Obito beams at Naruto, won over a little more.
Sasuke puts Obito down when Rin starts fidgeting with rising distress. This is breakfast time, meaning her brother needs to eat breakfast with her. Rin doesn't like it when things don't happen the way they're supposed to.
After giving him a final hug, Obito skips back to his seat. Rin relaxes.
"I'm going out," Sasuke says. Just the idea of remaining still makes his skin crawl. "I'll eat something on the way," he tells Mari. Them eating healthy is one of her pet peeves, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
As promised, he picks up a decent breakfast on the way. Then he does his absolute best to think of anything other than Hinata. Naruto's return means that a lot of people are approaching him for information, meaning it should be easy to distract himself.
It isn't.
Hinata likes him. Hinata likes him and he likes her back.
What is he supposed to do?
His mood grows worse as time passes and he keeps failing to keep his mind off the whole mess. Worse, thinking about it offers zero solutions.
He doesn't know what to do.
He gets a better distraction when he's summoned by Tsunade-sama, though it inspires a different kind of worry. A priority summon from the Hokage will do that. Hopefully she just wants to talk about Naruto.
Given the way his luck goes, she won't.
He arrives outside her office and is told to wait. Yamato-sensei, Sakura and Naruto all show up a little later. The odds of this being a casual meeting just became all but non-existent.
When they're called into Tsunade-sama's office, Tsunade-sama activates the security wards. A subtle scan of the office, and then a less subtle but more thorough one to confirm what the first told him, reveals that there are no guards in the room.
Definitely not a casual meeting.
"The Kazekage has been taken."
He's been what?
"Go to Sunagakure immediately and assist in his recovery. This is an S-class mission of the highest priority."
"Gaara's been kidnapped?" Naruto demands incredulously, an echo to his own thoughts.
"Did I stutter?" Tsunade-sama demands. While there's no true intent behind it, the light snap is enough to pull him out of his shock.
"Do we know who's behind it?" he asks, switching to mission mode. Mentally and physically both.
Tsunade-sama grimaces, making dread creep up on him. Or maybe excitement. He doesn't know whether he's hoping that his suspicion will turn out to be wrong or not.
"The intel points to the Akatsuki."
For all that he'd been expecting the answer, it still hits like an explosion. Akatsuki.
Itachi.
Sakura clenches her fists and her breathing deepens like she's readying for battle. It's only then Sasuke realizes that he's grasped his saber and is breathing in time with her. He forces himself to let go of his saber.
"We know Gaara was taken by Deidara, S-class Missing Nin from Iwagakure. There was at least one other involved, but their identity wasn't disclosed."
Sasuke calls up all the information he has on Deidara. You don't become S-class without having some serious exploits to your name.
The Mad Bomber Deidara. Orphan, male, nineteen years old. Prodigy. Artificial bloodline limit: Explosion Release. Former member of Iwa's Explosion Corps. Defected at age 14. Long distance fighter, explosive clay his primary weapon. Secondary specialization, earth techniques. Completed 82 official missions, 4 D-rank, 27 C-rank, 35 B-rank, 13 A-rank, 3 S-rank. Gained S-class status when he returned to Iwagakure and blew up an estimated sixth of their infrastructure. Known to have been responsible for 4 major international events, 11 minor ones, and suspected to be involved in several more. Sightings dropped significantly starting 4 years ago.
He tunes back in when Tsunade-sama gives them a look that makes it impossible to forget that she's one of the Sannin.
It lingers longest on him.
"I trust none of you will be blinded by your feelings."
He can't keep from glaring at her, unable to help his offense despite knowing that she has every right to worry.
But he earned her trust. He's completed every mission she gave, despite how impossible they sometimes got. He rose through the ranks not because of favoritism, no matter what some thought, but because he proved that he could handle it.
He refuses to let Itachi take that away from him. He won't endanger the mission.
The mission is to rescue Gaara.
"We can handle it."
It's Sakura who says it, voice hard. They share a look filled with the same determination.
They won't let Itachi control their lives.
Tsunade-sama gives a curt nod.
"Gather all you need and set out. Yamato is in charge. Temari left for Sunagakure this morning, meet up and inform her of what happened."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Yamato-sensei says with a crisp salute. He and Sakura do the same.
Naruto puts his hands behind his head and gives Tsunade-sama a grin that holds too many teeth.
"You can count on us, old lady."
Tsunade-sama's eyes narrow with an annoyance that's belied by the affectionate smile on her lips.
"What the hell are you still doing here, brat?"
They split up and go gather supplies. Given the nature of the mission, this means gearing up like they're going to war.
He doesn't know if it's good or bad luck that Mari is home. She's the only one, Kakashi and the kids are out. That makes things easier. While he normally prefers saying goodbye to Obito and Rin, this mission is anything but normal.
He might face his brother.
Mari takes the news of them going on a mission about as well as can be expected.
"Already?"
Every part of her radiates fear. Then she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Pulling herself together like always.
Normally she doesn't react this strongly.
Normally Naruto hasn't just come home.
"We'll be fine, Nee-chan," Naruto says, pulling her in a hug as tight as it is gentle. Mari almost breaks down again as she clutches him close, but she manages to keep it together.
"Of course you will be," she says, more to convince herself than anything else.
"We'll protect each other," Naruto tries to reassure her. It partially works.
It would have worked better if he could tell her this mission isn't supposed to be dangerous. Never stopped them from turning dangerous anyway, but just being able to say it always makes Mari feel better.
They can't say it. Not with a mission like this.
Not when they might face his brother.
Mari gives Naruto a look that shows she wants to tell him to run if a fight is hopeless, but she knows that would be useless. They aren't kids anymore. They haven't been for a long time.
"Be careful," she says instead. Naruto smiles and lays his forehead against hers as he gives the expected response.
"Always."
After hugging a few more moments, they let go. Sasuke steps forward and embraces her as well. Mari repeats her plea to be careful. He repeats the expected response. Mari's grip on him tightens like she can't bear to let go, before she determinedly pulls herself together again.
Part of him wants to tell her that they might face Itachi. Part of him wants to tell her that they might finally...
Most of him doesn't. Not yet.
Telling her before Itachi is dead would be taunting fate.
He and Naruto gather the supplies they need and go to the agreed upon gate. To no surprise, Yamato-sensei is already there. Sakura arrives shortly after, all geared up as well.
They run until they cross the first border. Then Naruto summons a ride.
"This is Hime, the most amazing bird there is," Naruto introduces with a sincere bow and a fond smile. Hime the eagle bends down and nudges his torso with her beak. Naruto grins and hugs her beak.
Sasuke takes a moment to admire Hime's appearance. Naruto was right, even for a summon, her colors are incredibly vivid. Eyes of molten gold, a head and tail white as snow. A body of rich copper, streaked with sunset orange. Streaks that disappear into wings neatly tucked in.
Her talons are coated with metal, inscribed with unknown symbols. Ceremonial, not functional, he remembers from the deductions his Sharingan made during the spar. Well, that was a different eagle, so it's possible that these symbols are seals after all. He doesn't think they are, though.
The fact that the symbols aren't seals, doesn't diminish the lethality of the metal itself. It hones her natural claws to a razor edge. Those things can rip through anything with ease. Not in the least because of how large they are.
Because that's the thing about Hime. She's huge. Her gaze crests several branch lines. Four people can absolutely fit onto her back.
"Hime, this is my team. Yamato-sensei, Sakura-chan and the bastard."
"Sasuke works too," he says dryly. Naruto gives him a cheeky grin.
"It's an honor to meet Naruto's flock," Hime says in a low and resonating voice. She lowers her body in a way that can only be interpreted as a bow.
Sasuke places his hands together and bows back, Sakura and Sensei doing the same. Hime straightens with a ruffle of feathers. He's betting she's pleased. As Naruto's letters have informed them, Hime appreciates good manners.
"I've heard many tales about you."
And they've heard a lot about her. She's one of Naruto's favorites.
"Only good ones, I hope," Sakura says with a mock warning look at Naruto. The idiot replies with a show of false innocence.
Hime cocks her head, but without his Sharingan, he can't interpret the meaning behind the gesture. His bet would be curiosity, though.
"He loves you very much," she says in an earnest voice, catching him off guard. Sakura is just as surprised. And just as touched.
Yamato-sensei, touched as well, greets Hime with as much regard as she did them. Then he says they can get to know each other on the way.
They climb onto her back. Hime's body coils for launch. She can't spread her wings in full in this clearing, meaning she has to get airborne in a creative manner. Sasuke prepares.
She throws herself into the air without use of her wings. A powerful jump boosted by pure chakra. Sasuke has just realized he should activate his Sharingan when Hime clears the treeline and spreads her wings.
They soar. Wind flows over them with what part of him knows to be a display of mastery but mostly he's focused on - flying - remaining balanced. Hime's body moves in time with the beating of her wings, and while she keeps a smooth rhythm, remaining balanced requires conscious effort.
It doesn't for Naruto. The benefit of having done this many times before.
Naruto grins at him with a thrill he can't help but share. Despite the urgency of the situation, Sasuke is exhilarated. The wind tearing at his clothes, the earth falling away. The giddy feeling he only gets when going fast.
Definitely getting a bird summon.
It's only after Hime's flight smoothes out that Sasuke wonders if he should have told Hinata that he was leaving. Or well, if he should have told Mari to let her know that he's leaving. But it's not like he can tell everyone to wait while he goes back. She'll need to learn that he's gone on her own.
A selfish part of him is immensely relieved that he won't have to see her anytime soon. Another part feels guilty for how relieved he is. But it's not like he's avoiding her on purpose. It had honestly slipped his mind that he needed to tell her.
He probably wouldn't have thought of it at all if she hadn't told him...
He needs to stop thinking of that. He can't afford to be distracted. Not on a mission like this.
And suddenly, despite the gravity of the situation, despite the fact that they might encounter his brother, Sasuke is overcome by humor. Naruto has barely been home for three days, and already they're being sent on a mission to rescue the Kazekage, the holder of the Ichibi, from S-class Missing Nin.
Team Seven's luck really is still the same as ever.