Sasuke blinks once, twice, and carefully let the go of the breath he was holding in. He looks down to his hands, smaller and softer, without the callouses he developed from years of using a chokuto. His eyes focus on a soft blue blanket draped over his lap, one he had left behind years ago, like he had left behind everything else. Everyone else.
He kinda wishes the blanket was orange. He could use a little orange. Not that he'd ever tell anyone that.
Sasuke wonders when, exactly, in time they are. They could be anywhere, considering how much chakra he loaded into the jutsu. He doesn't bother hiding the smirk on his lips as he thinks about it. As he thinks about twisting and warping time and space to his whims, and using the juubi they'd been running from, tricking it, to power the jutsu for them.
Naruto had looked at him like he'd gone insane, when he asked her to make the seal matrix that would funnel juubi chakra into him. It doesn't make him a jinchuriki, it would dissipate as soon as he used it, but it would be enough to power the jutsu he planned.
And it worked. Showed the dobe for doubting him.
"Oi teme, what are you looking so smug for?" The breath catches in his chest, and he's only had time to get it back to normal too, when he looks up to his window and sees the blot of orange. She's wearing her thrice damned jumpsuit, a hitaiate on her forehead and it he realizes that means they're probably gennin now.
She's an eyesore, all sunshine and burning chakra, and it says something about him that all that orange just makes him relax. He'll chalk it up to Stockholm at this point, but he isn't a Yamanaka so he doesn't need to justify his attachments.
"I told you it'd work," he tells her, shifting around so he's sitting against the wall with his feet stretched across the width of the bed. He pats the space beside him, too comfortable to move. He hasn't had a proper bed in a long while after all.
She looks at him like he has grown a second head, and cautiously pads to the bed to sit beside him. He ignores the pang in his chest, because she has every right to be apprehensive. He has been a shit friend for the majority of their lives. He has a lot of making up to do.
"So what's the plan?" Naruto asked when she finally settled beside him, turning to look at him and despite himself he smiles. The way her eyes widen is probably proof enough that he hasn't done enough of it.
"We need to figure out when we are first," Sasuke said, because they need to know where everything is before they start moving forward.
"I think, we're just before team assignments," Naruto said after a few moments of silence, and Sasuke looks at her imploringly, waiting for her to explain why she particularly thinks so.
"I.., um," he doesn't expect her to blush and splutter like their Hyuga batch mate, and it immediately grabs his attention. He raises an eyebrow and she huffs before mumbling out the rest of her response. "I had Kabuki war paint on, when I woke up. I only used it for the registration photo."
She's ducking down, face red and eyes away and he has the urge to laugh just because she can't see it. He does laugh, anyways, lets out a small amused puff he's sure she would hear, because he's done living under shadows and half remembered clan expectations. Especially when he remembers what kind of nutcase Madara was and what kind of bullshit Zetsu left behind for their clan to follow.
She's looking at him with that confused, awestruck look again. Like she isn't sure of what's happening, and why he's acting like this, and what this would mean long term. And maybe it's easier now, with the relief of a possibly better future panning out in front of him, to laugh. It's her fault, infecting him with that ridiculous optimism of hers, but he doesn't hate her for it.
He is utterly incapable of hating Naruto. And even if he had the capacity to, he'd rather not. He's done enough hating for a lifetime.
"Oi stop laughing at me!" She glared at him, all puffed up indignation on small, chubby cheeks and he cannot help smile again.
"Alright, we need to plan," he relents, and Naruto quickly sobers.
Kakashi was another sucker punch in the gut. Another man he had failed. Someone who was supposed to be his mentor, his sensei, but he had cast aside. Sakura was another example of what he could do at his worst. He doesn't understand how Naruto could forgive him at this point, knowing every mistake he has made, but he is thankful for it.
Even when the idiot had the gall to laugh at him when Sakura introduced herself. The pinkette, having misunderstood, was even harsher when she claimed her dislikes were Naruto. He deeply fights the urge to sigh exasperatedly wondering when she would grow up to be the Sakura they remember.
"My names Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" She exclaims it with such conviction. Like her name was a promise and a reassurance all in one breath and he could barely fight the urge to smile. "I like ramen, seals and the color orange. I dislike seeing my precious people get hurt, dattebayo! My hobbies include training and eating Ramen! My dream, is to become powerful enough, to protect my precious people! And become Hokage!"
He gives up his losing battle, and allows himself to smile, even when Kakashi calls on him next. "My name's Uchiha Sasuke. I.." he flounders, unsure of where to go and what to say, because he's a worlds away from the child who once made this introduction and he doesn't want to say the same thing. He looks to Naruto, who just nods at him encouragingly, and decides to just fuck it and tell the truth. "I like tomatoes and would like to learn kenjutsu in the near future. I dislike fangirls. My hobbies are training but I would like to look for other hobbies too. My dream, is to bring justice to my clan."
There. Truthful, probably encouraging for Kakashi's profiling of him and hopefully would deter Sakura's fangirling some. He isn't feeling particularly optimistic about it, but it might help. He thinks for a split second, before deciding to hell with it and that he might as well. "Oh, and I like Naruto."
"O..Oi, Sasuke does that really have to be a part of your introduction dattebayo?!" There's alarm in her tone, probably from the way Sakura has changed from deflated to full on glaring at her, and some pleased embarrassment that might be because this is one of the times he has acknowledged them. And their... bond.
"Hn." He takes some pleasure in the tick mark that forms on Naruto's face, and realizes why Kakashi absolutely enjoys being an asshole. She continues glaring, utterly unimpressed.
He smirks unabashedly at her, a clear 'whatcha gonna do about it?' challenge that has her narrowing her eyes with promises of retribution. She could be so entertaining like this. Why had he been such a dick before again?
Ah right. Danzo.
"Maa, while I'm glad some of you seem to be getting along, now isn't the time for flirting." That made Sasuke's head turn towards Kakashi so fast he feels his neck vertebra protest. He hears both Sakura and Naruto loudly denying it and wonders not for the first time why he has been roped into the circus act that was their team. Then again he was just as much of a head-case, so it's probably for the best. No one well adjusted could have lasted team seven.
Thinking back, they were all sorts of fucked up actually. Naruto had abandonment issues a mile wide, which he probably hadn't helped with, and tended to latch on to any form of affection like an abandoned puppy. Or abandoned fox kit, really.
Sakura had pushed her anger issues so far back, falling into what she was taught a lady should be like, that it evolved into a second personality. One that got warped by her bizarre chakra control into something like an ability that actually prevented most mind jutsu from taking. Which was impressive in a horrifying kinda way.
Sasuke was, well... He probably shouldn't have been left to his own devices after their clan massacre. He probably shouldn't have been allowed to stay home, in a place full of ghosts and after images of blood stains and red moons. And while he has gone a long way from then, had gotten his closure after killing each and everyone that was a part of his clan massacre, he knew how bad of a place he had been as a kid.
Kakashi was Kakashi, and that was all he had to say in that matter.
Even Sai and Yamato had been pieces of work, as temporary as they were. Apparently you needed a certain level of mental (in)stability to be qualified for team seven. It was like that for all past iterations of their team too. All the way back to Tobirama's team seven with Hiruzen Sarutobi and fucking Danzo.
He listens with half an ear as Kakashi tells them about the upcoming test. His ridiculous bell test, which was apparently as much of a team seven tradition as the mental fuck-uppery requirements. He heard that Jiraiya had been the one tied to the post during their own bell test with the Sandaime. Remembers Kakashi saying that Obito got that during their turn. He wonders who got tied up to the post during the sandaime's own gennin test and fights back a bout of hysterical laughter.
Judging by Naruto's curious/suspicious gaze, he probably isn't as successful as he thinks at covering up the amusement in his face.
"What got you so amused earlier, teme," Naruto asked when they were making their way to the training grounds. Naruto had asked Sakura if she wanted to train, but had turned down too quickly that she couldn't come up with an excuse to join back when she found out that Sasuke was going to join.
Maybe he's being unfair to their pink teammate, but he really finds her unbearable during this time, and couldn't feel too guilty about ditching here. Besides, they really do need to train. He still kept overshooting at times and he was sure his blonde was doing no better.
The dobe would probably acclimatise faster though. Cheating with the power of a hundred ramen-fuelled clones.
"I was thinking of the bell test," he admitted when he could see that she was losing her patience. "You know how every team seven did the bell test right?" She nods but her face is still scrunched up in confusion and he smirks a bit more.
"Can you imagine Danzo tied up to the post?"
How can a shinobi laugh like that? Especially someone like Naruto, who had only known hatred for much of her life. He doesn't know how she could laugh so fully, so happily but she does and it makes him smile from mere proximity. If the sun could ever come down to earth and take human form, it would be her.
"Dobe, we still need to train," he reminds her and after a moment's hesitation, grabs her hand and drags her still laughing form to the training grounds. "Not all of us have kage bunshin cheats you know."
"What's that supposed to mean!" she exclaims so loudly that he hears birds squawk and fly away from them. She's puffing up all indignant and moves faster than him just so she's the one pulling.
She doesn't let go of his hand though, which is nice. It isn't the last time that he wonders why he left this behind.
AN: Right! For people who've read my other fic With Eyes Sealed Shut, this one has a very, very different feel to it.My other fic was basically a trial run for this one. This one focuses a bit more on fluff because, well, I want to?I need a bit more Sarcastic-Sasuke in my life so here it is.Tell me what you think?