History slowly began to repeat itself as the weeks went by. Naruto complained about the low level missions every time they were assigned one. Kakashi showed up hours later than he told them to arrive.
Sasuke began to shut them out.
It was small things at first. He responded with one word rather than a whole sentence when she babbled on about whatever was happening that she found interested. Then, he started to lessen their shuriken and speed sessions. She and Naruto were a bit taken aback at that, so they continued to train themselves. Shisui would stop by sometimes and give them pointers before disappearing again.
They found out Sasuke was still doing the sessions. Just without them.
And because Naruto and Sakura were stubborn fools who would follow Sasuke to the end of the earth and drop off it if he did, they crashed his sessions.
He tried moving them to different training grounds, but they always found him and made him train with them anyway. He even went to a place in the Uchiha compound to deter them. It never did, they got Shisui to escort them to and from.
Their teamwork was crumbling and it was only made worse when Sasuke yelled at them. He said he didn't want to see them all the time and wanted to do things on his own.
Suddenly, this Sasuke reminded her of her Sasuke.
After the mission today ended, one she remembered clearly as being the one before they journeyed to the Land of Waves, Sakura couldn't take it anymore. Even their teamwork in her other life had been better at this point and she wouldn't let bad teamwork get them killed because Sasuke was ignoring them.
Even Shisui and Itachi noticed. And while she knew that they knew why, she made a bet with them that she'd figure it out and get Sasuke back to his old self. Itachi didn't actually participate in the bet, but she and Shisui agreed that the loser (or losers) would pay for a dinner.
Sakura doubted the boys would let her pay regardless, but they were letting her have her moment when she declared she would crack Uchiha Sasuke's stubborn shell.
"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, stopping him in his tracks. Sakura could always count on her ability in getting Sasuke to at least stop and listen to her. In this life and her old one. Naruto gave her a questioning look, but she shoed him away while Sasuke's back still faced her.
"Catch you guys tomorrow!" Naruto shouted, mouthing a good luck to her before running past Sasuke. "I hope that stick isn't so far up your ass tomorrow, teme!"
"Can we talk?" Sakura asked quietly, walking up beside her teammate.
"No, I won't train with you tonight," Sasuke told her, ready to jump away when she gripped his arm.
"I said talk," She corrected firmly, keeping her hand on his arm even when he turned to glare at her. "No training."
She held his gaze, determined to get him to say something-- anything, really-- when his eyes softened slightly. She dropped her hand in surprise.
"Not here," He told her, glancing around them for a moment before she realized he was looking for anyone watching them. He grabbed her shoulders, eyes narrowing at a certain spot before they disappeared.
"When did you learn the Shunshin?" Sakura questioned, a bit caught off guard when their surroundings changed from the Hokage Tower to a cluster of trees.
"I had Shisui teach me," Sasuke answered, dropping his hands and looking around them. Apparently happy with the lack of ninja around them, he turned back to her. "I'm still not as good as he is. Honestly, I might not ever be, but I'm good enough to catch them off guard."
"Them?" Sakura questioned, wondering if it was Root or some other organization.
"The police force," Sasuke answered through gritted teeth. "They're keeping an annoyingly close watch on me nowadays. What did you want to talk about?"
Sakura fumbled with her thoughts before she managed to get anything out. "Forget what I wanted to talk about. Why is your family having you followed?"
Sasuke kept his expression carefully blank, but Sakura could still read him as well as she could in her old life.
"You were told not to tell me," She figured out, watching his eyes divert to her left for a moment. "And because you're being followed by parts of your family and can't say it in front of them, I'll take a guess that it was someone not involved with police work. Which leaves three people that you'd ever listen to," she held up three fingers. "Your mother, Itachi, or Shisui. Your mother would only tell you if your father commanded it, and since he's in charge of the police force, that rules her out."
Sasuke remained silent as she dropped a finger. "And if you're not happy about it, I bet Shisui would tell you to act out just to spite them. He'd warn you about telling someone else but he wouldn't explicitly tell you not to. So he's out."
One finger remained upright. "Which leaves Itachi. And if Itachi told you something that you shouldn't tell anyone, it means you also aren't supposed to know. Right?"
Sasuke frowned. "You are too astute for your age."
If this was any other conversation, Sakura would have blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, I tend to obsessively analyze situations when I don't understand what's happening. Like you ditching Naruto and I and shutting us out. Would I be correct in assuming that the reason you're being followed and shoving Naruto and I out of your life are somehow related?"
Sasuke almost looked impressed and she guessed that it was if she was just a normal twelve year old girl butt-hurt over her teammate shutting her out. But she knew better. She saw this behavior before when Sasuke refused to care about her and Naruto. Granted, it didn't work, but she recognized it nonetheless.
"So why?" Sakura asked, knowing this was where her detective skills ended. She crossed her arms, looking at him with narrowed eyes while he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.
"It's clan stuff," He told her lamely and she scoffed. Sasuke gave her a warning look but she waved it off.
"Obviously," She snapped. "I'm not an idiot, you know."
"I know," He responded back with an equally aggressive tone. "That's why I'm here breaking my promise to my brother. You're not an idiot, but you are impatient."
"With Kakashi as our sensei, you'd think I'd be better with waiting," She joked, watching as Sasuke didn't fight back the small smile that made its way onto his features.
Sakura waited a few more moments for Sasuke to continue. When he did, he couldn't meet her gaze.
"They made me clan heir," He confessed quietly, his shoulders dropping in defeat. "And there's talk about removing me from Team 7 after the Chūnin Exams."
"They can't do that!" Sakura shouted, thrown off by the utter difference in issues she was dealing with now. Of all things in this life, she never ever thought Team 7 would be a casualty of it once their names were listed off together.
"They can," Sasuke told her quietly, eyes shutting and she saw the pain flash on his face. It was so quick that if she had blinked just a second later, she would have missed it entirely.
For a moment, she wondered if there was a career in reading Uchiha expressions. She'd be great at it.
"You're distancing yourself so when the time comes, it won't be as troublesome," She stated, uncrossing her arms. "You idiot."
Sasuke looked up in surprise and she came over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You don't distance yourself to make it hurt less," Sakura told him, instantly aware of the familiar chakra signature that was failing to sneak up on them. "You make it so they have no choice but to keep us together."
"We're 12, Sakura," Sasuke pointed out dryly, looking to his left and sighing. "How are we supposed to become a force so great they keep us together even after the exams?"
"By being great!" Naruto yelled, jumping down from the trees. Sakura rolled her eyes, taking her hand off Sasuke's shoulder to curl it menacingly in the face of their intruder.
"What did you not understand about me waving you away, huh?" Sakura asked, glaring down at a shrinking Naruto.
The blonde laughed nervously. "Haha, well you see, Sakura-chan, I went to get ramen. And then I finished my bowl of ramen and wanted to find you. And I remembered you were with this jerk so I sorta sent a bunch of clones around the village. And then I remembered that Itachi-nii-chan used to bring Sasuke here when we were kids. And, ah, here I am!"
"Idiot."
"Jeez, Naruto."
Naruto didn't let it phase him at all, grinning widely at the two of them. "Well, now that teme got his underwear untwisted, we can go back to being Team 7!"
"We were always Team 7," Sasuke reminded him, but both she and Naruto shook their heads.
"Showing up to missions and mandatory team meetings so does not count as being a part of Team 7," Sakura told him, giving him an innocent smile when he frowned.
"Yeah, Team 7 is a family and you have been ignoring your family!" Naruto nodded. "I miss Auntie Mikoto's onigiri."
"Surprised you have a taste for something other than ramen," Sasuke commented, his frown lightening when Naruto's features scrunched in annoyance.
"I like plenty of foods!"
"Yeah, miso ramen, soy ramen, salt ramen-" Sakura began listing, turning her attention to her best friend. She missed the way Sasuke's lips quirked up into a small smile, watching her as she teased the blonde over his food choices. Eventually, she and Naruto were engulfed in their own laughter.
"Anyway, I have to go," Sakura told them, holding up a peace sign after the amusement died down. "I have a dinner to get to."
"A dinner?" Both boys asked at the same time, glancing at each other when Sakura flushed. She refused to look at Sasuke.
"It's more like collecting on a bet," She corrected herself but waved goodbye regardless. "See you two tomorrow!"
"Why was she blushing about a dinner?" Naruto asked, his eyes growing wide with concern. Suddenly, Sasuke found himself being shaken by his dumb best friend. "Teme! Sakura-chan has a date!"
"No way," He refused, though even he heard the doubt in his words. "She said she was collecting on a bet. That doesn't mean a date."
Naruto wiggled his eyebrows. "Wanna follow her anyway?"
Sasuke didn't say yes, but when he didn't say anything, Naruto cheered and they were off.
"Told you he'd crack," Shisui sniggered after Sakura recounted her conversation with Sasuke. Bumping shoulders with Itachi, he continued. "She's got our little Sasu-chan wrapped around her finger!"
"Shisui-nii-chan," Sakura pleaded, aware of the growing stares he was attracting. "A bit loud, don't you agree?"
"Sakura-chan's very astute for her age," Itachi said calmly, and Sakura's eyes widened at the words.
"Is that where he got that from?" Sakura gasped, setting down her food. The older Uchiha's looked at her in confusion. "Sasuke-kun said almost the same thing earlier."
Itachi looked amused and Shisui had no qualms hiding his laughter.
"I never thought I'd see the day," The latter wheezed, reaching over the table to pinch her cheek. "You've got the entire head family wrapped around your finger, imouto. Honestly, why don't we have Sakura-chan talk to the clan elders? They'll be smitten with her."
"They'll say she's not a part of the clan," Itachi replied seriously, taking a sip of his tea and regarded her with warm eyes. "Though, I believe that is a losing argument. It'll be null one day."
Sakura's entire face heated up, her features scrunching together as her companions smiled at one another. She stammered a weak protest.
"Hey, come on, Sakura-chan, we're just joking," Shisui assured her, only taking back his hand when she swatted it away.
"Itachi-nii-san doesn't joke," She replied with a pout, eliciting another round of laughter from Shisui.
"She's got you there, Tachi."
"But he told you?" Itachi asked calmly, not looking the least bit surprised when she nodded. "I do believe Mother will be excited to have you and Naruto-kun back at the compound."
A waitress brought them a plate of dango to their table outside and cleared away their near empty plates. They thanked her and waited for the waitress to leave earshot before continuing.
"Is being at the compound so often a good idea?" Sakura asked in a worried tone. "Things. . . aren't the same as when Naruto and I were kids."
"It'll do 'em some good," Shisui told her firmly, both boys in front of her growing rigid for a moment before glancing at each other in exasperation. She sensed her two idiotic teammates moments later. They were in the forest lining the pathway across from the shop. "But anyway, you were right. Shouldn't have bet you that you couldn't get that genjutsu down in a week. Now, I'm stuck paying for dinner."
"You buy me dinner every week," Sakura blinked a few times. "So really, it was a losing bet regardless."
"How is your genjutsu training going, Sakura-chan?" Itachi asked her, setting a stick of dango onto her plate and doing the same for Shisui. "I'm afraid my free time is a tad limited nowadays."
"Really well!" She told him happily, beaming when Shisui nodded.
"I might start getting you to help, when you aren't on a mission," Shisui said, picking up the stick to eat one of the dango pieces. "She's got a real knack for genjutsu. She's even tricked Kakashi with subtle ones before."
"I think he's too lazy to release them when they're so insignificant," Sakura admitted.
Itachi smiled at her. "Sasuke also says you have the best chakra control out of the three of them. Have you thought about applying that talent anywhere else?"
"With the rate of Sasuke and Naruto getting injured on simple D-rank missions, I've been contemplating becoming a med-nin," She confessed, watching Itachi sit back to ponder the idea. "I also read that precise chakra control is the basis of medical ninjutsu. Since I don't have large enough reserves to master ninjutsu like the ones you teach Sasuke-kun and Naruto, I thought I could help out in a different way."
She picked up her dango, her eye twitching as she heard a rather distinctive 'What did she say about us?' in the background. She ate her share rather quickly as the two Uchiha's contemplated her words.
"Keeping those two alive will be a full time job once you three become Chūnin," Shisui pointed out, nodding as he finished his dango. "It would be nice to have a med-nin in the family."
"Yes, I would remind Sakura of that want to heal in a few minutes," Itachi said, apparently making up his mind and picking up his dango.
"Shisui-nii-chan, may I have your dango stick?" She asked sweetly and his grin grew wicked as he handed it over. She held the two sticks in separate hands and located exactly where her idiot teammates were: hidden behind the bush and crouched down in front of a tree.
"I knew you were my favorite for a reason," Shisui laughed and she whipped around, the sticks flying from her hands as they imbedded themselves into a tree behind the boys. "Man, I can't wait to tell Auntie Mikoto about this."
All three of them heard a loud curse, when Naruto fell out of the bush. Though, judging by her Uchiha teammate's rather victorious smirk when he emerged, Sasuke probably pushed him.
"Thank you for the meal, Shisui-nii-chan."
"Anytime, imouto."
Sakura stood up from the table, hands on her hips as she faced her boys.
"I said goodbye to you two an hour ago!" Sakura shouted, the annoyance clear in her tone.
Sasuke disregarded their pouting teammate and walked over with his hands in his pockets.
"We thought you were on a date!" Naruto yelled back, picking himself up and jogging to catch up to Sasuke.
"Naruto thought you were on a date," Sasuke corrected, eyeing his brother and cousin as they watched the scene unfold before them. Then, his attention settled on her. "Collecting on a bet?"
"Shisui-nii-chan and I had a bet about my genjutsu training," She told him with crossed arms, watching as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. She never could lie to Sasuke, not in this life or her past one.
"And I have been reminded never to underestimate my dear Sakura-chan," Shisui announced as he set money onto the table.
"Your Sakura-chan?" Naruto repeated loudly. "She's our Sakura-chan, get your own!"
"Naruto, I'm five seconds away from punching you back into that tree if you don't lower your voice," Sakura threatened, her frown deepening when her best friend started to protest. "No."
Naruto just nodded meekly, not bothering to excuse their 'spying' anymore.
"Why's Itachi here?" Sasuke questioned, his gaze wandering over to his brother, who in turn held up an empty dango stick.
"I owed him dinner too," Shisui rolled his eyes, nudging Itachi until he also stood up. He winked at the group of kids, saluting them before placing a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "See you kids around."
"Tch, that prick always knows when to disappear," Sasuke commented when the two Uchiha's vanished before their eyes.
"You two should learn a thing about doing that," She snapped, crossing her arms and pushing past her boys.
Truly, she loved them both immensely. But they were especially annoying in this time.
"Oh, come on, Sakura-chan, we just wanted to protect you!" Naruto defended, placing his hands behind his head as he fell into step with her. "Can't let some loser get too handsy with you. Honestly, you should just not date anyone. Unless it's one of us. Maybe even, I dunno, a blond with blue eyes."
"Ino's around?" Sakura responded immediately, looking around and causing her best friend to slump over momentarily.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto whined. "Give a guy a break, ya know?"
"Not when said guy goes ahead and follows me when I told you exactly what I was doing!" Sakura said fiercely. She saw the smirk grow slightly on Sasuke's face, so she rounded on him as well.
"Naruto's not the only one I'm mad at," She continued, Sasuke's smirk falling to a frown as she glared at him. "I mean, really! You both know me! You know I wouldn't be going on a date with anyone besides, besides my textbooks and bed right now!"
"Textbooks and bed," Sasuke echoed.
"Sounds boring," Naruto said, scratching his head. "Did you mean what you said about becoming a med-nin?"
"Yes, which I will tell you all about when I'm not annoyed with you both," Sakura said, stopping in her tracks. Both boys stopped a few steps ahead of her, turning around and looked at her expectantly.
"Naruto, this is your stop," She told him, pointing upwards towards his apartment. Then she turned to Sasuke. "And this is the halfway point to my house from the compound. Both of you go home and we meet at the Hokage Tower tomorrow. Goodnight."
Naruto looked up, then at Sasuke, then at her, before he launched his arms around her.
"Naruto!"
"I'm not sorry about protecting you and I never will be, Sakura-chan," He told her, his voice muffled as he hugged her tightly. "Maybe spying on you wasn't the smartest thing to do."
"You need to take Kakashi-sensei seriously when he tells you that your stealth needs work," Sakura choked out, patting her teammates shoulder.
"Dobe, you're crushing her," Sasuke said, pulling their teammate off her with a single tug on his collar. Naruto was smart enough to look sheepish.
"See you tomorrow!" Naruto yelled for the second time today, launching off the ground and towards his apartment.
Sakura didn't expect the same goodbye from Sasuke, so she simply waved to him and turned around.
"It's a good idea," He said, causing her to look back at him.
She titled her head in confusion. "Huh?"
"Becoming a med-nin," He clarified, looking thoughtfully at the sky. "You like to help people. It's a good role for you."
Sakura couldn't help the heat rising to her cheeks. Her Sasuke had said the same thing a few weeks before he and Naruto died. Some good being a med-nin did then.
But this was not her Sasuke. This was this Sasuke who wasn't burdened by intense rage and obsessive feelings of revenge. One who was a bit better at showing emotions.
Somehow, the compliment still made her feel the same way.
Maybe it was because Sasuke would always be the same person deep down. And maybe, just maybe, in her old life, he showed her and Naruto who he was despite how fleeting the moments were.
A soft smile graced her features, and she knew it was more reminiscent than it should be, but she couldn't help it.
Maybe this Sasuke wasn't so different from the one she fell in love with in her old life.
"Thanks, Sasuke-kun," She practically whispered, her eyes closing for a moment and she tilted her head. "Good night."
"Good night, Sakura."
