"I'll even welcome this sense called pain, proof that we're alive."
- Again, YUI.
"Keep running, and don't look back. We'll be right behind you, I promise." Sayuri's mother's hushed tone provided no solace at this moment. Her back was flush against the local steamed bun shop's rear side. The elderly couple who owned the place always gave Sayuri a free bun on her birthday and smiled kindly. Now, she was never going to see them again.
"I don't understand why we have to leave. I'm scared. I don't want to go!" Her dread-filled protest was met with sudden urges to be quiet. Her father, Gorou, stood the furthest from her, his kunai drawn as he inspected the alleyways behind them. Her mother, Momoko, crouched down in front of her, rushedly wiping away tears that Sayuri hadn't realized were running down her face.
"I need you to be brave right now, okay? I need you to run as fast as you can towards the shore. Don't stop until you get into a boat. Can you do that for me?" There was no moon tonight, so Sayuri could only rely on the two working streetlights to make out Momoko's expression. Her deep green eyes, typically sparkling with humor, were frantically darting around in every direction around them. To Sayuri, it had become increasingly evident that both her parents were shaken to their core. She had never even seen them nervous before, let alone as terrified as they were now.
She swallowed a dry lump that had settled like sand in her throat and nodded. She couldn't bring herself to speak. "Good," her mother said. Momoko then leaned around Sayuri and poked her head around the building's corner. "Okay, go now." Her hands found her daughter's shoulders and ushered her forward. Sayuri took a large inhale through her nose and felt her chest inflate to the point of aching. She needed a moment to build her resolve, and then she was running.
Her heartbeat drummed louder than a storm, turning the sudden sounds of shouting and metal ricocheting off metal into distant white noise. Her legs felt like they had a mind of their own, pushing her at a speed she didn't know she was capable of—as if the world around her was struggling to keep up as opposed to her scrambling to escape it.
Sayuri had to be at least fifty feet away from where she last saw her parents when she felt something hard and light shoot through her hair and alarmingly close to the back of her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a kunai lodged into a brick wall where her head had been a split second ago. The kunai had strands of her light-brown hair dangling from the blade.
Someone's trying to kill us. The thought ruptured in her head, shaking her resolve. She stopped and turned to look behind her. Her father was suddenly only a few feet behind her, his left cheek adorning a fresh slice wound. She looked from him to the scene distantly behind him. Momoko was lying on her stomach, the ground soaked in her blood. Her back had become a sickening and unwilling sheath for their adversaries' kunais.
The sight made Sayuri's knees buckle beneath her. She and her mother locked eyes for a brief moment. Her mother's expression twisted from anguish to horror as she realized Sayuri wasn't moving. She screamed something at her daughter, but it was to no avail. Sayuri's head felt like it was stuffed with cotton.
"M-mom," she said weakly, her voice barely above a whimper. Her hands trembled violently as she reached out to her mother. The silence around her slowly began to fade as the sounds of the mid-village brawl began to swell into its place.
Two coarse hands secured themselves underneath Sayuri's arms, and she was quickly hoisted from the ground. Her father had snatched her up and was sprinting towards the shore. She stared in horror over his shoulder as they kept getting further and further away from her mother. "We can't leave her!" Her own voice sounded foreign and waspish to her. "Dad, we have to go get Mom! We can't leave her; they're gonna hurt her!"
Her father didn't answer, nor did his pace falter. She couldn't bear to look anymore and buried her face in her father's shoulders. The ground beneath his feet crumbled away all at once, and suddenly Sayuri was falling. Her father disappeared, seemingly into thin air. All her instincts told her at once not to open her eyes.
Her fall was beginning to feel endless. Would she ever reach the end of this empty pit? The air around her felt freezing, as if frost was slowly accumulating on her skin. She trembled at the frigid gusts of wind buffeting and jostling her.
Within the next instant, the air shifted dramatically in temperature. The sudden humidity was so jarring to Sayuri that she opened her eyes and looked around her reflexively. Beneath her was the ocean, stretching endlessly far and deep. Waves rippled along the water's crystalline surface. It would probably look more inviting if she wasn't falling at an alarming speed and height into it. There was nothing to hold onto anywhere around her, nothing to catch her fall.
As she rapidly approached the surface of the water, a scream finally wrangled free from her numb state. Sayuri squeezed her eyes shut once more and braced for impact. She expected to feel bones breaking or at least a stinging pain along her skin from falling so far, but no such thing. Her crashing into the water was surprisingly gentle, as if she had only dropped a few feet.
Sayuri had yet to open her eyes when a strong tide began pulling her further into the empty water. The force of the wave managed to keep her upright and able to observe everything around her as she glided through it. A spray of bubbles followed her like a shadow as she propelled through the ocean. Her watery surroundings were utterly lifeless, with no flora or fauna to be found.
Her momentum finally slowed to a complete halt as she clumsily collided with an unusually high sandbank. Sayuri crawled further up the bank until she reached the top. Where she had anticipated the other side of the bank to be, there was instead a crater meters beneath where she peered over the edge. It was deep enough to where the sunlight could not illuminate the bottom entirely. If she squinted hard enough, though, she could almost make out two figures sitting there.
Feeling bold, Sayuri moved her legs to meet where her hands laid at the tip of the ridge. Her position was similar to that of a frog waiting to leap. She kicked away from the edge of the bank, the force of the motion accelerating her descent to the underwater crater. If she swam deeper, she wouldn't be able to see. She settled on floating a meter or so above the figures. And though she couldn't explain to herself why she felt compelled to extend her hands to them. So she did.
One figure noticed her right away and took her hand with no hesitation. It felt exactly the same way a human hand felt when it touched her. She smiled and looked at the other figure. It made no move towards her whatsoever. Sayuri thrashed her empty hand around in the water, hoping to catch its attention. Her heart lurched when it ignored her. Something about this felt very time-sensitive. It was as if the figure would dissipate if she couldn't reach it.
"Sayuri."
She whipped her head around, looking for the source of the voice calling her. The figure that refused to acknowledge her began to move and shrank itself back against the crate floor to escape her.
"Sayuri, if you want breakfast, you better get up now."
Breakfast? Slowly, her surroundings fizzled and faded into nothingness. Sayuri looked all around her before looking towards the figure holding her hand. It showed no reaction to the voice she was hearing or the disappearing environment. It was utterly still.
All at once, the world around her flooded with darkness and disappeared just as quickly as she opened her eyes. The tan ceiling above her grounded her in reality immediately. What on Earth did I just dream about? Sayuri questioned. She sat up in bed and cast aside her blankets as if they would burn her to be left on a second longer. The more distance she could put between herself and that dream, the better.
"You alright there, kiddo?" Her father's voice cut through her brain fog with ease. She looked over at him as he leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom, his head slightly inquisitively cocked to the side. Sayuri met his eyes and relished in the comfort his presence brought. He could always approach a situation with a level head and had a knack for settling others' anxieties.
"I dreamed about us leaving the Hidden Mist Village." Her throat constricted as she spoke as if it were tied via pulley to the stone settling in her stomach. Gorou's serene expression melted into a wistful, empathetic one. He stood up straight and strode into the room. He placed his hand tenderly on the top of her head and lightly ruffled her hair. They shared the same thick and unruly light brown hair.
"Let's get you ready for today, okay? And you can talk to me about it if that will make you feel better." Gorou spied a hairbrush on Sayuri's bedside table and began to untangle the tumbleweed formerly known as her hair.
"I don't really want to talk about my nightmare. I just...I wish she was here. I miss her all the time, but especially today. I never knew how bad I wanted her to see me graduate from the Ninja Academy until today," Sayuri said as she shifted her seated position on her bed around to allow her father to get her hair situated.
"I know. And she would be so proud of you, Sayuri." Gorou's voice had a slight croak to it as if he were trying to hold back tears. His daughter's eyes trailed over to her bedside table where her Hidden Leaf forehead protector laid. It still didn't quite feel real that she was officially a ninja now. And even though she was, she couldn't say her faith in herself was fortified.
Sayuri had never expected to pass with flying colors. Of course, Sasuke Uchiha had taken the title of Number One Rookie; but it was safe to assume that Sayuri was probably somewhere comfortably in the top five of her class. She'd always been commended for her speed and natural aptitude for Ninjutsu, but her lack of strength and stamina weighed her down. Sayuri was at her weakest in a fight that was drawn out longer than she could handle. Which, in her case, was a disappointingly small amount of time.
With her insecurities still weighing heavily on her mind, Sayuri sighed. She muttered a quiet "I hope so", her eyes still glued to her headband. The familiar sensation of her father's hands weaving her hair into a tightly-laid braid aided a little in loosening the knot of anxiety that had settled in her stomach.
"I can't believe you're all grown up already. I missed so much of you growing up when I was away on missions. I don't remember you having quite as much hair to braid as you do now." It was true. Her hair was getting long. It wasn't quite as long as Gorou's—his hair easily reached his waist.
Once her hair was plaited and secured, Gorou clapped his hands against the tops of his thighs and stood up. "Alright. I'm gonna go finish up breakfast. Come out and get some before you leave, okay?" He was almost down the hall already as he finished speaking, leaving his daughter to get dressed.
Sayuri crossed the room from her bed to her wardrobe and flung its doors wide open. She rifled through her various, pastel clothes. She inspected a lilac dress before deciding against wearing it. Instead, she decided on a peach-colored yukata-inspired top and skirt set with soft, teal-colored trimming. This top's cross-section hugged her shoulders unlike an actual yukata, so Sayuri elected to use the standard shinobi's wrappings to cover any revealed skin.
She inspected herself in her rectangular standing mirror. Her sleeves billowed a tad at her wrists, and she was sure that being able to conceal a kunai within them would be useful later on. Her skirt brushed at her knees and had a very narrow opening at the left and right sides to allow easy movement. Her pelvis and thighs were covered in the very same wrappings as her chest and neck. Sayuri looked from her reflection to the Hidden Leaf headband resting in her palms.
Her father wore his leaf headband on his forehead, as did most other ninjas from what she could see. But, if she did that, then she'd squish the two long braids her father had styled for her. So, to avoid damaging his handiwork, Sayuri decided to tie her headband around her neck just loosely enough to sit comfortably at her collarbone.
"Sayuri, you have five minutes to eat if you don't want to be late!" Her father called from the kitchen.
"Be there in a second!" She responded. Get it together. No time for graduation jitters today. Sayuri thought to herself. She lightly clapped her hands against her cheeks to hopefully hype herself up a bit more for the day. Finally, she ripped herself away from the mirror and scurried towards the kitchen to vacuum up as much breakfast as humanly possible.
"Did you forget how to eat today? You have rice on your face." This was Sayuri's friend Hisoka Ito's way of saying "good morning". He was famous for being unable to read a room or follow social cues. Despite this, everything he said usually came from a place of genuine care. He was a few inches taller than Sayuri and significantly more muscular. He had a stocky and athletic build. He had curly, coppery-blonde hair that hung a few centimeters above his chin. His hair was contrasted by his chocolate brown eyes and dark eyelashes.
"Hisoka, would it kill you to be polite for a minute?" Masashi Tabe, Sayuri's other close friend, chimed in. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, his black eyebrows knitted together in exasperation. Masashi's skin was a warm, tan color darker than Sayuri and Hisoka's complexion. He seemed to already be nursing a headache despite how early in the day it was.
"It's just a question. Wouldn't it be worse for me to just let her walk around with food on her face?"
"That's not-"
"Guys, please," Sayuri interrupted pleadingly, "It's way too early to start this. If we stand here bickering instead of walking, we're gonna be late to our own graduation ceremony."
Sayuri, Masashi, and Hisoka had all been friends since she had arrived at the Leaf Village. They lived next door to each other, and their parents often set them up on playdates. As they got older, they fell into a tradition of walking to the Academy together each morning. This usually consisted of Masashi and Hisoka waiting for Sayuri outside her front door, as their houses were located further away from the Academy.
Their house proximity was also a big help for Gorou, as the Tabe and Ito families were more than willing to check up on Sayuri when he went on long missions. Hisoka, his mom, and his older brother were the only ones in his family who were ninjas. That left his father and his eldest sister to keep the household running smoothly regardless of when the rest of their family were out on missions.
As for Masashi, he didn't come from a ninja family as Sayuri and Hisoka did. He and his younger siblings were the only ones interested in attending the Academy. They were twins, and one sister was rarely seen without the other. His parents were diligent and strict, which didn't always mesh well with Gorou's relaxed and gentle approach. They'd had words before about how they would scold Sayuri when Gorou was away.
"You're right," Masashi said, relief sneaking into his tone. He didn't have much patience for bickering, even when he participated. He was probably just grateful to move on and get to their destination.
They fell into stride all at once in their usual formation. Sayuri tended to walk in the middle with Masashi on her left and Hisoka on her right. She was glad they still wanted to walk together, even on their last day. It was a lovely send-off to their tradition to do it again one last time.
"When my older brother graduated from the Academy, he was put on a three-man squad with two other students from his graduating class. They assigned his team an instructor to help them be better ninjas. I wonder if they still do that. Maybe Iruka-sensei will put us all on a squad together." Hisoka had a finger pressed against his chin inquisitively as he pondered aloud. He always said doing so helped him think, but Sayuri was pretty sure he just did it to look wise.
Masashi shrugged, his hands comfortably settled in his pants pockets. "I suppose we wouldn't make a bad team. Sayuri is fast and relies mainly on ninjutsu. Your stamina and strength are obscene even though they make you slow, Hisoka. And that leaves me being the most well-rounded of us all with a slight advantage in genjutsu," he said. Now that he was listing off their attributes so openly, it did make a lot of sense for them to be on a team together. Their skill sets seemed complimentary, and with how well they knew each other from years of close friendship, their level of communication and shared instincts would be unmatched.
This realization sent a spark of excitement through Sayuri, powerful enough to smite her anxiety. Of course, Iruka-sensei would put them all on the same squad! There were no two graduates better for her to train with than them.
With renewed energy, Sayuri reached her hands out to lock onto Hisoka and Masashi's wrists. Her pace suddenly doubled without warning, and the boys on either side of her began scrambling to follow her.
"Come on!" Sayuri announced cheerfully, "Let's go to the Academy. We have to see if you guys are right."
"S-Sayuri, hold on—" She was too excited to listen, let alone obey whichever one of her friends was pleading for her to slow down. She dragged her friends behind her, narrowly avoiding crashing into a masked, silver-haired jōnin heading in the opposite direction. She could see her future as a shinobi clearer than ever now with her friends beside her, and nothing was going to hold her back.
Sasuke always arrived at the Ninja Academy before any other students did. His father, Fugaku, had a strictness about him that stuck with Sasuke long after his passing. Even with a lack of supervision, he lived a consistent, no-nonsense lifestyle. He trained every day, maintained a healthy diet, and meticulously organized his living space.
Sasuke didn't even acknowledge the gentle hum of conversation billowing around him as his classmates slowly trickled in. At the moment, all he could think of was his possible impending squad placements. Some of his classmates had older siblings who graduated from the Academy recently, and according to them, three-man squads were the next step. Once it came time for graduation, it was all his other classmates could talk about. And though he secretly hoped otherwise, if there were no issues with the team system, there'd be no reason to get rid of it for this graduating class.
But the teachers should know I have no need for a team. Sasuke refused to believe that having to split his focus between his goals and two other dimwitted, unskilled ninja wannabes he would inevitably get stuck with would in any way improve his already outstanding skills. In fact, he dreaded the idea of having to rely on anyone else, and that feeling drowned out any hope he had of possibly being matched with a classmate he felt could keep up with him. Truth be told, he could really only count the students he wouldn't despise being paired with in some capacity on the one hand. He finally shifted his intense gaze from the front of the room to the students all around him. He kept perfectly still as he analyzed his possible teammates.
His first choice was Shino Aburame. Sasuke knew Shino was skilled and even better: unassuming. Shino's presence was never imposed on anyone. He stayed out of the center of attention, and he never gave any impression of weakness. He was practically perfect to be on a team with. Shino was smart, collected, and skilled. He was Sasuke's best bet at succeeding on a team.
Sasuke eyed the room further, slowly ticking off more and more students who he deemed average or more likely to hold him back in his training. He felt a particular ire towards the girls who fawned over him. They would waste his time at best and become dead weight at worst. This sentiment applied especially to Ino Yamanaka.
What a waste of a kekkei genkai, Sasuke thought to himself. He briefly considered being on a team with Sakura Haruno as well. She wasn't as overbearing as his other admirers. He knew she was a remarkable critical thinker and had the decency to be respectful towards him more consistently than the others. He probably wouldn't hate being in the same squad as her if she tried her best, but she definitely was not an ideal candidate. What Sakura rightfully boasted in brains, she severely lacked in brawn.
But perhaps the absolute last person Sasuke wanted to be on a team with was only two seats away from him. Naruto Uzumaki, the biggest clown in class clowns' history, seemed to only know how to take himself seriously and nothing else besides that. He made crass jokes, poor choices, ugly faces, and shameful jutsus. Sasuke had no doubts that being on a team with someone like him would not only slow him down but make his blood boil.
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun," Sakura's voice cut through Sasuke's internal monologue. Her face was painted with a blush almost as pink as her hair. "Is this seat taken?"
Sasuke didn't even get the chance to speak before Ino had derailed Sakura's attempt to sit near him. She snatched Saura's forearm in a claw-like grasp and tugged her away from Sasuke. Sakura snapped something back at Ino that Sasuke couldn't be bothered to pay attention to. Their bickering roused the interest of the rest of their class, and as a result, caused his other admirers to insert themselves needlessly in this petty squabble. They seriously can't find something better to do with their time? This is just agonizingly stupid.
In the corner of the classroom furthest from him, a head of thick, light-brown hair popped up to peer at the commotion going on. Sasuke met the eyes of Sayuri Fukuhara, one of the very few people he found to be tolerable—and on good days likable—in this sanity-forsaken classroom.
He held her gaze, musing to himself that she may interpret this action as a cry for help. Interestingly enough, she didn't get flustered or look away as other girls did when he would catch them looking at him during class from time to time. If she felt any particular way about him outside of his staring, it was not revealed in her gaze or in any of her body language. Could he truly be blessed with someone in class finally feeling just neutral towards him? What a relief that would be! He had almost tuned out the ruckus around him this way, just having an unprovoked staring contest with one of the top five students of his class and letting his thoughts of her wander.
Without any warning, Naruto leaped up onto the table in front of him. He'd crouched down in such a way that Sasuke was forced to meet his eye. The blonde-haired brat glowered at Sasuke, and the latter was more than willing to return the same glare. The tension between them only seemed to grow, creating palpable friction comparable to electricity.
An uproar slowly began to build as the girls who were previously vying for an opportunity to sit next to Sasuke had now turned their attention to Naruto and his gall to get up in their darling's face. They snapped at Naruto and encouraged Sasuke to punish him for daring to disrespect him in such a way.
And then, without warning, Naruto's face crashed into Sasuke's. White-hot rage flared up in Sasuke's chest as he felt Naruto's teeth clack against his painfully in what was likely the worst accidental first kiss in history. They ripped apart almost as soon as they processed that they were kissing and turned away from each other as fast as conceivably possible. Sasuke spat out a garbled threat towards Naruto the second the idea formed in his head. He barely even registered what he was saying; he was so humiliated and furious.
After a few seconds of debating whether or not Sasuke should self-induce vomiting, he wiped away at his mouth with his arm rapidly. Awful, awful, awful, He thought to himself vehemently. I'm gonna kill him. His resolve was rock-solid. One good kick would probably set Naruto in his place. He turned to face the object of his loathing only to find him missing from the spot he was crouched at before. Naruto was no longer perched on the table in front of him.
"Agh—ow! Sakura-chan, c-calm down!" Naruto's voice pierced through the classroom as the sound of fists colliding with flesh shortly followed. It seemed Sasuke's unofficial fan club had taken up the reins in doling out punishment for kissing him (regardless of whether or not it was intentional). He couldn't see Naruto through the crowd of girls swarming him, but he could most certainly hear him. Huh, he thought, I guess they're useful for something after all.
Sayuri winced as the violence towards Naruto finally met its end. Sasuke's admirers seemed satisfied with the punishment they had inflicted on Naruto and settled in their respective seats. Hisoka shook his head, sighing in disbelief at what he had just witnessed.
"Girls are crazy," he said. Sayuri bristled at his comment.
"No, they're not, Hisoka. It's easy to get reckless and not realize how your behavior looks when you have a crush on someone. Love can make anyone crazy," she said. And though she firmly believed what she said, there was a not-so-small part of Sayuri that felt anxious at the idea of one of the lovesick girls she was defending taking note of her and Sasuke's impromptu staring contest. It most likely meant nothing to both parties involved, but to the outsiders zoning in on any little move Sasuke made, it could mean a threat to their chances with him. As that thought crossed her mind, Hisoka seemed to finish gathering his own thoughts to argue,
"Okay, but Naruto obviously has a crush on Sak—"
Masashi cut in before Hisoka could finish his rebuttal.
"Hisoka, you should probably quit while you're ahead. This isn't an argument you're gonna win any time soon." Sayuri wanted to thank Masashi for taking her side, but her main priority was making sure Hisoka did not finish that sentence. Certainly not with Hinata Hyuuga— her third best friend and the one person Sayuri knew to be hopelessly in love with Naruto— in earshot. Sayuri jammed an elbow into Hisoka's ribs and shot a glance at Hinata that snapped back around warningly at Hisoka like a boomerang.
Hisoka's nostrils flared in irritation. Of course, he refused his friend's advice. And with his lackluster ability to pick up any social cues, as usual, Hisoka opened his mouth to retort. Much to his luck, their teacher loudly cleared his throat and effectively ended all conversation at that moment.
"As of today, you are all ninjas. You should congratulate yourselves on your hard work and efforts to get here. However, don't think things get any easier from here. You have a long road ahead of you. To help guide you through these challenges, you will be grouped into three-man squads with a jōnin to supervise you and your teams' development." Iruka's speech caused the class to erupt in excited whispers. "Keep in mind that these teams have been specially selected to both complement and round out each teams' set of skills. I will now begin listing off each team."
Sayuri sat bolt upright in her chair, eagerly listening. She leaned forward to the row of seats in front of her and nudged Hinata. The shy girl looked around back at her, a nervous smile spreading on her face.
"I-I hope we're on the same team, Sayuri-chan. A-and having Naruto-kun with us t-too would be really g-good." Sayuri grinned at Hinata's response, taking note of the slight flush in her face. She was probably thrilled at the idea of being on the same team as both her close friend and crush, respectively.
"Team Seven: Naruto Uzumaki—" Hinata's head swiveled forward in a heartbeat to face Iruka right as he said Naruto's name. "—Sasuke Uchiha and Sayuri Fukuhara."
Sayuri's smile dropped from her face like it was a weight far too heavy for her to carry. Her jaw fell open in disbelief. Naruto and Sasuke? She had spoken to them roughly a handful of times in their years at the Academy together. How did Iruka expect her to believe that those two would compliment her skill set more effectively than Masahi and Hisoka would?
She turned to look towards her friends seated to her right, her expression crestfallen. They seemed equally disappointed but rushed to try and make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. Masashi forced a reassuring smile, and Hisoka leaned back to fold his arms behind his head. He was likely about to comment as Iruka listed off the next team.
"Team Eight: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame." Damn, Hinata wasn't even on the same team as Sayuri's friends? This just kept getting worse. She supposed Shino was at least some consolation. He was a stronger shinobi than Sayuri and would certainly keep Hinata safe.
"Team Nine: Masashi Tabe, Sakura Haruno, and Hisoka Ito," Iruka read aloud. What? Sayuri thought as another wave of disbelief hit her head-on. He kept Masashi and Hisoka together without me? What is he thinking?! She had never felt so inclined to tear her braids apart in frustration, but she was damn close. She couldn't even muster the focus to continue listening to the rest of the teams.
"Well, looks like we got the brainiac of the class, Hisoka," Masashi said, "Sorry things didn't work out how we were hoping, Sayuri. But we'll probably be put on missions together later on down the line." His attempts at comforting her were appreciated, but Sayuri could not must the energy to thank him for it. She felt like her whole world just got turned upside down. Though, she supposed that was her own fault for so strongly believing she and her friends would all be on the same team together.
"Look on the bright side!" Hisoka now chimed in, "You and Sasuke are on the same team; who can beat a team with the Number One and Number Four rookie together? Naruto is gonna have to really work to keep up with you guys, but you'll be unstoppable!"
Sayuri swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded, her friends' comfort helping her find the courage to put on a more optimistic demeanor. She came to a slightly uncomfortable smile and said,
"You guys are right. And don't worry, Hinata. I'll put the good word in for you with Naruto," Sayuri said slyly. Hinata's face turned bright red at her friend's comment, and she buried her face in her hands.
"Y-you don't have to do anything like that! I-I'll be embarrassed!" she cried out. Sayuri began laughing at Hinata's flustered response, only to be cut off by Naruto jumping up from his seat and directing an indignant outburst towards Iruka.
"Iruka-sensei, what the hell is this crap? Why am I stuck on a team with a loser like Sasuke? My awesome skills are going to waste here!" He complained. Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose, his annoyance almost tangible.
"Because, Naruto," he began pointedly, "these teams are meant to be balanced. You have the worst scores in this class, and Sasuke and Sayuri have some of the best." Sayuri shrunk as low in her seat as possible as Iruka reprimanded Naruto. Her face turned beet red as laughter boomed throughout the classroom. He couldn't just take his disappointment and accept it like she was doing? He was making such a fuss, and even worse, he wasn't even embarrassed about it! At this rate, Naruto wouldn't know shame even if it punched him in the face.
"Don't worry, loser," Sasuke cut in now, and his tone was like ice, "I'm sure Fukuhara and I can manage to carry your dead weight just fine."
"What did you just say to me, you prick?!" Naruto demanded.
The whole class seemed to be entertained in some capacity by Naruto and Sasuke's squabble. Sayuri wanted to melt into the floor and disappear the more they went back and forth. Hisoka had a smug grin wide on his face as he nudged Sayuri playfully,
"Looks like you have your work cut out for you, huh?" It was very much in character for Hisoka to get his fill of schadenfreude from any applicable occasions, and he probably felt like he was hitting the lottery right now. This was an absolute trainwreck for Sayuri, and it was a captivating one, to say the least.
"You can say that again," Sayuri said. She already felt exhausted just by witnessing their dispute, and she didn't feel optimistic about them getting along in the foreseeable future. Her patience was going to be put to the test in ways she never could have anticipated.
"At least your negotiation skills will be outmatched by the end of this. You'll be able to defuse any situation with no sweat once you spend enough time with those two." Masashi continued to throw in some optimism in the hopes of drowning out Hisoka's glee at her misfortune. Sayuri sighed and laid her forehead against her open palm. "You may have fun, you know. They can't be this bad all the time."
Sayuri's head turned to meet Masashi's eyes. She shrugged and commented,
"Or they are this bad all the time. Do you think if I kill them both, I'll get a new squad?" Masashi snorted at her blunt, uncharacteristically sharp comment, fighting to hold back open and raucous laughter. His shoulders jumped with the motion as he brought his hand to his mouth. He smirked and then said,
"Well, then I guess we'll see what happens first, huh?"
"Guess so," Sayuri answered. "You'll help me hide their bodies, right?" Masashi took this opportunity to lay his elbow against Hisoka's shoulders and draw his attention back into their conversation. Hisoka's head perked up, and he glanced from Masashi to Sayuri and smiled his usual grin at her as Masashi spoke.
"What else are friends for? You point, we dig." It was comforting to know that Sayuri could still count on Hisoka and Masashi regardless of squad assignments. Naruto and Sasuke would be quicker to have their knives at one another's throat before they had her back from how things looked right now.
Good grief, she thought to herself, you're in for it now, Sayuri.