CHAPTER 18: What Makes Us Different?
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"Is something on your mind, Sasuke?" Itachi asked his little brother as he tried to enjoy his afternoon tea.
Across the table, Sasuke was frowning. It wasn't far to say that the boy was always annoyed or scowling, but Itachi could sense that something was bothering his only sibling. Sasuke's shoulders were dropped down rather than his usual arrogant stance, his eyebrows were furrowed, and, dare he say it, the boy was pouting.
When he saw the younger hesitate, he decided to prod once more. "Sasuke?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head.
"None…" Sasuke pursed his lips in thought, "None of us were promoted to Chuunin except for Team 10." He said with downcast eyes.
"Yes, and?"
"Did we fail as a shinobi?" Sasuke looked at Itachi, "Did I fail if I couldn't even get past Genin?"
Ah, so that's what this was.
Truthfully, Itachi couldn't relate to what Sasuke was feeling. He was at the top of his class. Excelled in his own field. Got promoted years ahead of his peers and became one of the youngest ANBU in Konoha's history. He was the prodigy of his batch. The man to beat.
Obviously, that wasn't the case every time. Through time, he met others who were on par with him. People who could probably give him a run for his money. People like Hatake Kakashi, Namikaze Minato, and Uchiha Shisui just to name a few were probably enough to make him feel uncomfortable if they were to fight against one another.
Deep in his bones, Itachi knew that there will always be someone stronger than him. Maybe not now, or maybe not even for the next five years, but someday, someone stronger will appear. The younger generation may not be as tough or 'cold-hearted' as the older generation, but they make up for it with determination and sheer perseverance.
"I think," Itachi started with a soft tone, his eyes made sure to look at his younger brother's, "that every one of us has a different path when it comes to becoming the Shinobi we wish we are." He spoke.
"But I failed to pass a measly exam."
At this, Itachi smiled. "So, you learn from it, yes? Every failure we face is a lesson we should take into mind. Consequently, every success we achieve is a stepping stone towards the future we dream."
Sasuke snorted, a habit that was very un-Uchiha-like. Maybe hanging out with Naruto was starting to rub into him. "As if you, the mighty Uchiha Itachi, ever failed in something." He crossed his arms with a soft pout on his face, "You're a living legend just like Kakashi – sensei. You're the youngest ANBU Captain, I doubt you failed an exam in your life."
"Well, I may have failed something once." The Uchiha heir let out a wry smile.
"You?!"
"Yes. Me."
"What? How come I've never heard about this?"
"It's not my proudest moment." Itachi sipped the last of his tea before pouring himself a new cup. "But, alas, I have failed in something."
Sasuke leaned across the table, eyes wide with curiosity at learning something so human about his prodigious brother. "Well? Tell me, aniki."
Said brother let out a chuckle, "I failed Kakashi – senpai's little initiation test when I first entered ANBU under his team."
Onyx eyes rolled in boredom, "That's it? I thought you failed a major exam or something." He sat back down, "Well, what's it about?" he asked.
"I'm pretty sure you're familiar with the Bell Test?" Itachi asked. He patiently waited for Sasuke to reluctantly nod in agreement before he continued, "I failed that test because I tried to get a bell all by myself."
"But isn't the Bell Test about teamwork?"
He nodded, "Yes, exactly. I was confident in my abilities that I quickly disregarded my older teammates' suggestions and went on my own. I got a bell but I still failed the test. Imagine my surprise when Kakashi – senpai explained the test to me during our lunch break – well, they were eating lunch while I was tied up to a pole."
"And this…test became a life-changing moment for you?" Sasuke asked. He underwent the same test but it never really occurred to him how important the essence of the test was. He wanted to understand Itachi's point of view of failing the test.
"I wouldn't say it was life-changing, but it was certainly a lesson I had to learn. You see, in missions, there are times when everything goes downhill. Sometimes, you have to trust your teammates to be able to watch your back for you." Itachi paused to take a sip of his tea, "Hostage Missions, per se, are really delicate. The squad placed their trust in my ability to get the hostage away quickly, which is good. I, on the other hand, took a few more months before I realized that I had to trust in their capabilities to handle their tasks."
Sasuke nodded in understanding.
"Trust goes both ways, Sasuke. I didn't understand that at first, but I learned my lesson and was able to become a better Shinobi. I can indeed handle most things by myself, but there's still an advantage with having numbers."
"I – I trust my team," Sasuke said slowly, "But I still failed." He frowned in conflict with himself. "Was it because I was still lacking in something? Because I wasn't the best?"
Itachi shrugged, "You don't have to necessarily be the best, you just have to be better than most." He smiled, "In my perspective, you weren't promoted because you still lack the mentality needed to be a Chuunin. You immediately chased Gaara and his siblings for a fight despite Genin Protocols stating that you should have responded to help the evacuation." He explained.
"But that would mean that the Sand Siblings would have gotten away?"
"Well, yes, but sometimes we have to prioritize the safety of other first. When you become a Squad Leader in the future, you'll realize that the safety of your team is more important. Completing a mission is nice on paper, but would you be able to face their family knowing you abandoned or sent them to die?"
Sasuke softly shook his head. "What about you? Was there a time that you had to choose a mission over a life?"
Itachi paused for a few moments. "Once."
"Oh."
The younger reached out to pour a cup of tea for himself, "How… How can I prepare myself to be a Chuunin? The next exam will be held in six months, I'd like to properly train for it." He smoothly redirected the direction of their talk.
The heir blinked before offering a smile, "I can train you. My squad is being held here in the Village as a safety precaution due to Orochimaru's attack, I'm sure I can train you for a few hours and have you shadow me or a Chuunin that owes me a favor."
Sasuke smiled, "I'd like that, aniki."
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"Ah, Sasuke – san." Sakura greeted as she saw the Uchiha boy walk around the Konoha Library, "It's not often that I see you around here." She offered him a small smile. 'Or ever.' She mentally added.
"Sakura," Sasuke greeted in return, "I was just looking for a few books that aniki suggested." He gestured to the small pile of books he was carrying.
"Oh," Sakura blinked, "Are you planning on reading those here, or are you checking them out?" She asked with curiosity.
"Hn," He shrugged.
Ah, typical Uchiha reply.
The pinkette sighed before she pointed to an empty chair two seats away from her, "Accompany me, will you? It's been a long time since we've seen each other." She smiled.
Sasuke paused for a moment before he relented and sat down. He silently looked at the scattered books and paper on her side of the table. "Quite the research you have going on," he nodded towards her, "The Fall of the Snake Sannin: A Tale told by The Professor. Not something you see every day."
Emerald eyes glinted with amusement, "And what about you?" She pointed out, "Leader Management 101 and Tactical Retreats and Botched Missions aren't something I thought you would take interest in."
The second heir snorted, "It's… I'm reading in advance for the next Exams."
"That's a few months from now, right? I'd thought that you would focus on the physical aspect of the exam."
"I can kick anyone to the ground anyway," Sasuke defended himself, "Aniki mentioned something about my disregard for protocols and public safety, so I asked him a few tips."
The pinkette nodded before turning back towards her readings. She wasn't one to judge on what a person was reading, seeing as her taste throughout the years were purely random and spurred on by last-minute decisions and spite.
The two were relatively quiet for a few minutes, both focused on their own books. The library itself was quiet, with the exception of a few footsteps echoing here and there, along with the sound of books falling to the ground due to clumsy people going around the library.
Their silence was eventually ended by none other than Sasuke himself, "How are you always better than me?" he asked the pinkette.
Sakura, who wasn't expecting such a question from the boy, blinked in shock before turning to her friend, "Pardon?"
Sasuke sighed before he closed the current book he was reading, "I get that you're the Rookie of the Year and all, but – how are you so much better than I am?" he asked once more. His face was set with annoyance, not anger, at something – probably annoyance of his own weaknesses and shortcomings?
"Well," how was she going to phrase this? The pinkette offered him a soft smile, "I'm not better than you. I am, however, different than you. We just grew up differently. Trained differently. We also have different morals in life, I think. And we both have different motivations when it comes to working hard."
She wasn't really sure why Sasuke was doubting himself now. The boy was always confident in himself back when they were still at the Academy. Truthfully, Sakura didn't see Sasuke as someone who was beneath her, that would be mean. But she did see the boy as someone who was vastly different when compared to her.
While she was snappy and maybe even a tad cold to others, she still had a soft spot for all her friends and tried to exert effort in showing her gratitude and emotions towards them. Sasuke, on the other hand, was as cold and closed off as any Uchiha you could meet.
She loved to learn and read books. Regardless of genre or topic, she would scour the library for any book or scroll she hasn't read yet. Sasuke only read books and notes related to their curriculum. He wasn't stupid, but he wasn't the most well-read person in the room.
Another thing that set them apart was how they held people close. The pinkette practically adored her family and would do anything to spend time whenever they were in town. She always made time for Naruto, Ino, and Hinata; even if it meant eating five bowls of ramen. She also made it a point to train with her teammates as much as possible to work on their teamwork. The Uchiha, as she heard from his teammates, trained by himself and wouldn't care less to actually talk about teamwork unless the situation was dire. He wasn't on the best terms with his family, with the exception of his beloved brother.
"So, what do I lack in? Motivation? A better training regime? Communication? Education?"
"Maybe all of those or maybe none at all." Sakura shrugged, "As I said, we're too different to be compared. If you feel like you're missing something, I can't tell you what it is because I'm not you. The best I can give you is some advice, but then again, I can't really feel what you feel so I'm pretty sure any advice I give you is something you'd probably either hate or need to hear."
"Well then, how can I be better?" Sasuke frowned as he raised a hand to scratch his head in irritation, "I want to be better. I need to be better."
The pinkette was silent for a few moments before deciding to speak up, "What kind of Shinobi do you see yourself in 5 years? Are you the selfless kind? The one who makes the sacrifice play? The aloof teammate? The scary one?" She slowly gathered her books and stood up, "Try to be better by becoming the Shinobi you wish to be." She smiled at him before walking away.
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A.N:
Yes, I'm alive :')
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!