The Sharingan's Voice

by ystv

Forcefully separated, Sasuke finds himself wishing back the time when he thought he'd hated Itachi, if it just meant to know if his brother was still alive. Being faced with slavery and having to interact with people all while keeping his identity secret, slipping up is all too easy. That he could possibly gain a friend or two out of this hasn't even crossed his mind.

5. Teamwork

Recap: "Save it. There is no surface tension here for you to take advantage of, and the ground below is simply not stable enough for you to latch on." Sasuke looked up to see Shikamaru's gaze directed somewhere off beside him. Dang, he couldn't use eye to eye communication then.

"Sorry about this, but I thought it was the only way to make you hear me out, Uchiha-san."

---

Chapter 5 Teamwork

dedicated to Fugitivus, who's continued support means a lot to me.

Kakashi was strolling towards Sakura's apartment, everything wrong with the character that presented Tatakai still on the forefront of his mind. It hadn't left him alone at all. This boy, a slave, a Shinobi.

He'd get some answers, some more puzzle pieces, be it through Tatakai himself or some way else. He already had a couple of strategies in his mind and was hoping to achieve his goal without cornering his suspect.

After a short greeting, his student let him in. She set up some tea, and sat down at the Kotatsu, across from where he knelt.

"Somehow this place is swarming with people today... Are you here for Tatakai too?" She seemed a little tired. "Shikamaru took him out for a spar, so he's not here right now."

Kakashi took in the information with mild interest, however already adjusting his plans. It'd be easier if Tatakai wasn't around.

"What I came for won't require his presence. I wondered if you'd mind if I had a look at his papers. You do have them, right? I'm just a bit curious about his background."

"Oh, really? Ehm, yes, sure." She rose from her spot. "That's actually a good idea. I never thought to look into those and he's so closed off. I'll get them at once." Soon she returned and spread the sheets across the Kotatsu, the low table. Now sitting next to each other, she and Kakashi went through them. There were several actually. Most were ownership transaction certifications. They were sorted by date and his information was updated on each. The newest was on top:

---

Place of transaction: Slave House Shin'en Minami, Fire Country

Current owner: Hisashi Omo, Slave house President

New owner: Haruno Sakura

Slave code: OSA0742

Birth name: Unknown

Listed name: Tatakai

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Unknown, approximate age: 16

Origin: Unknown

Description: Black hair, dark eyes, pale skin

Height: 165 cm, growth still possible

Current Weight: 48kg

Seals: Slave Seal( transitioned),

Tracking Seal (new), connected

Notes: Haruno Sakura has been informed of the odd
occurrences around him as well as the behavioral problems.
Slave House Shin'en Minami won't take him back.

Signatures: Hisashi Omo, Sakura Haruno

---

Skimming the papers, Kakashi finally asked the question that had been in the back of his mind ever since he'd realized that Tatakai knew ANBU hand signs. It was time to get some answers:

"Sakura, how come you went out to buy a slave anyway? It seems a little unlike you."

She finished reading a passage, then looked up from where she was shuffling through the papers.

"Ah yeah, I suppose a lot of people wondered about that... actually, I didn't want to either. And to be honest, I still don't like it. I hope Tsunade will allow me to free him someday... It was her idea, you know..." She looked back down at the papers, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Remember when she banned me from the hospital? She told me that I looked at patients the wrong way, that I had lost my touch, that I only worked as a distraction and wasn't facing my own problems. I mean, what problems? Tch... And then she gave me an assignment: To go and buy a slave. In all honesty, I don't really know what this all is for and she refused to explain… So here I am."

"Hmm, that's sneaky of Tsunade. Who would have thought… Did she tell you where to go, or did you search for a slave house yourself?"

"Uh, I wish she'd have told me where to go, like, how would I know about that? I had to search for one and ask around, it was so awkward."

"Hmm, I see… And why did you pick him ?"

"Oh, that's hard to say, you know? But I think I thought he was misunderstood. They told me he fought at any chance, no reason at all, but he proved me otherwise. Also, I thought that maybe, instead of always studying the sick, it would do me good to study a healthy body for once… Does that make sense?" She looked back at him. Such a good girl.

"I suppose." Kakashi' smiled at her before he turned back to the papers in front of them. Sakura had pulled out one that had Seals drawn next to short descriptions. She scanned it carefully.

---

Information to Sealing and Accessory:

Slave Code: OSA0742

Slave Seal: Placed on arm

Punishment: Pain spreading over skin, growing stronger over time and severity of breach.

Possible to activate through owner.

Activation: Touching of subjugation seal with two fingers,
Say: Spread

Deactivation: Letting go of seal

Tracking Seal : Placed between Shoulder blades

Functions: Tracking, Owner feels direction of Slaves location and approximate distance

By breaching of boundaries, activates punishment

function of Slave seal.

when moving back into boundary, pain lessens and disappears.

Activation: Touching of counter seal with two fingers
Say: Find

Deactivation: Touching of counter seal again.
Say: Done

Collar: placed around neck

Purpose: Chakra block, restraint

Shackles: placed on wrists

Purpose: Restraint for physical force

---

Sakura stared at the paper. That had indeed been an enlightenment. She hadn't realized half of what these things really were for. She would have had some answers all along, had she only looked a bit closer. She was glad to know though that tracking didn't hurt him. Also, she hadn't realized, that the slave seal actually could punish. She'd never witnessed it happening, luckily. The thought of punishing and causing him physical pain on purpose skeeved her out. Especially now that she knew more about her power as a slave owner, she vowed to herself to never exploit it.

What surprised her, though, was the collar. She had thought it was just another item signifying his status to everyone, something, to put the leash on, besides the shackles. She hadn't had any clue that it had actually restrained his chakra! So that was why, even with his obvious skills, he hadn't broken out of the cell, or tried. How long had he borne it?

Kakashi in the meanwhile, had skimmed over other papers, mainly ownership transactions. They seemed to be authentic. He couldn't detect any manipulation and the papers' change of colour corresponded with the dates. Information swam before his eyes. Some things crystallized in clarity though:

According to these papers , Tatakai had been owned by more than five Slave Houses, the last two being in Fire Country. All had taken him back for reselling, some a couple of times, others only once. In the end all had expressly written that they wouldn't take him back another time. He'd had countless owners, who had claimed their right to return, and those who couldn't had usually just searched out the next Slave House to sell him to. As for the records, they all mentioned that he had behavioral problems. Though, except for the no-talking maybe, Kakashi had yet to see them… Also he read about odd occurrences, including lapses in control over people's body's,appearances of what was described as a protecting daemon or angel, sometimes as brother, even voices in people's heads. Occasionally, these occurrences also included bad dreams about what was described as a battlefield. Blood, dead bodies, panic in the air. It appeared that most owners sold him out of fear.

Kakashi couldn't help but think that one thing that had saved Tatakai from being put down might have been his good looks. He didn't know the world of slavery very well, but could imagine easily, that favorable looks would always fetch a nice price somewhere. The people who bought slaves were still from the same world he lived in.

The more he read, Kakashi had found no relation to Konoha or any hint back to Danzo whatsoever and only few papers were left to look through. A yellowish paper caught his attention. It looked old and the date on it confirmed his guess. This was the first paper, the one of his registration:

---

Slave Registration

Place of Registration: Slave House Kansei, Ishigakure

Slave Code: OSA0742

Birth Name: Unknown

Gender: Male

Origin: Unknown

Date of Birth: Unknown. Approximate Age 13-14

Family: OSA0743 (brother) captured and sold.

Description: Black hair, dark eyes, pale skin,

Height: 153.2 cm, still growing

Current Weight: 43.5kg

Blood Type: AB

Seals: Slave Seal

connected to Yamasaki Ryo (Slave house president)

Restraints: collared, shackles when taken out of cage.

Notes: refuses to talk

good looks,

had some ninja training before capture

Signature: Yamasaki Ryo

---

Kakashi held onto the paper. So he'd been a slave for about two to three years, he had had a brother, and his self-initiated muteness had been there from pretty much the beginning, probably right after his capture. As for the capture date, Sai was unlikely to be said brother. Sai had grown up as a slave, and he'd already been part of their team around the time of capture. That didn't mean that it wasn't possible for them to be brothers, it only meant that Sai wasn't slave OSA0743.

In any case, he better verify the dates and information with a random Slave House. If these papers were real, then there should be records.

On a side thought, Kakashi wondered if there was an actual relation to the brother mentioned in the papers and the phenomenon described as demon as well as brother.

The visit had more puzzle pieces than answers and the only traceable thing besides the owners and Slave Houses, was his brother's slave code, though Kakashi already had a misgiving on that. He'd seen how many times Tatakai had been resold, and hence moved locations. Kakashi would be quite lucky to find traces to follow continuously.

"He has been in servitute for a while, it seems." Kakashi said, putting down the paper.

"Oh, did you find something?" She looked up from hers.

"Not much, only that they were captured in Ishigakure and that he had a brother."

"A brother!?… I didn't know… I found out that I took off the chakra restraint he wore, it was a collar…"

"I read about it. I bet he was glad?"

"I dunno… He was somewhat shocked, I think."

"Well, he probably knew what it was for."

They returned to silence. Sakura shuffling through the papers he'd just looked through. She took them, bringing them back in order.

Much like Kakashi, Sakura let her thoughts wander. Tatakai had been shocked, she had seen it. Back when she'd removed his collar. At that time, she had just taken it as it was, ignoring his irritation. She hadn't known what she really had done... Now, she wondered what he thought of her, back then.

Kakashi wondered about other things. Mainly, how that boy had managed to scare that many people, especially without being directly violent. It had been more than a menacing aura, and there had been no spoken threats. If he hadn't known that he had his chakra restrained, he'd have guessed he'd used some Jutsu… Had that boy found a way around the collar's influence? And there still was the question of how he knew ANBU hand signs, and why he had reacted to the Sharingan the way he did.

0000000

Sasuke was sinking and the worst was, he couldn't stop it. The Nara's shadow technique held him firmly in place, unable to escape or move in general. Sasuke couldn't apply any of the techniques that Itachi had him practice to get out of quicksand and similar soil. But sinking in the position he was held now would soon make it near impossible to escape without help.

The other had yet to utter another word, seemingly just waiting for him to crack. Sasuke took a deep breath. He didn't know what to think. How far would Shikamaru go? How far was Sasuke willing to risk it? He instinctively dug his fingers into the ground, grabbing nothing but squishy mud. The sudden movement only causing him to sink another inch.

"I won't let you die, don't worry. I got a board here. Should the need arise, I can put it below you to increase surface. That should keep you afloat. You know, I know you can talk…"

Shikamaru was just bragging, he couldn't know. When could he have witnessed? Assumptions, guessing, nothing more. And calling him an Uchiha didn't automatically make him one. Sasuke was sure that here too, the Nara had no certainty (yet) and was trying to figure him out through suggestive interrogation. He was playing with the time factor, waiting for him to break. But Sasuke wouldn't make it that easy. If Shikamaru wanted him to talk, he had to do better than that...

"You can, of course, remain silent." Shikamaru set in again. "I got time, you know? But you don't, your time limit will be following scenario: Once we're both missed and someone comes looking for us, this will come to an end. Of course you can think of what happens if we cross that point and you haven't shown any willingness to cooperate: You'll be taken in custody, a blood sample will be taken, you'll be interrogated." He made pause for effect. "I offer you a way around that, but you will have to cooperate and talk to me."

Sasuke grit his teeth. So that would happen if he didn't answer. Instead of 'killing' him himself, he'd throw him to the sharks. Nice. Sasuke could of course admit to be able to talk, but that would inevitably lead to real questions demanding real answers. And he knew what kind of questions the Nara would ask. If he really thought about it, what was the point in remaining quiet if the other already knew about him being an Uchiha? For three years he'd kept silent, and it had served him well. Was that the moment he had to lift his guise? If only he could use his Sharingan on him…

Sasuke glared at Shikamaru, who still stubbornly refused to look at him. This was all pointless. He squinted his eyes, just to realize that he had been trying to stare him down. Useless… Shikamaru was calmly sitting there, under the tree, calmly gazing into the distance, that bastard. There were so many things Sasuke didn't want to reveal, or unbury… But he also no longer hoped the Nara would simply turn around and look. Sasuke couldn't blame him: If he really took him as an Uchiha, he wouldn't risk it. Sasuke wouldn't, either. Damn, he was truly trapped.

"Fine, what do you want?" Sasuke all but spat the words.

Shikamaru smirked. "Good. Then here's my proposal. You've been interested in Konoha's history. You must know that Shinobi are responsible for the safety of their people and village. You're quite a strong Shinobi yourself, so help us with our job and in turn, I will help you find out what you want to know."

Sasuke stared at Shikamaru. Whatever he had been expecting, that hadn't been it. His guise seemed so close to being lifted, his identity exposed. The other was so sure that he, Sasuke, was an Uchiha. The allegation alone was enough to send him into the interrogation department…. Was Shikamaru oblivious about the ace up his sleeve, or did he choose to ignore it? Where was the catch? It sounded too good to be true. Was Konoha at a shortage of Shinobi or why was the Nara offering something like this? And what was, once he, Sasuke, had found out what he was seeking? Would he be able to play 'search' still, to keep the deal up? Would he even want to?

"Why?… Why not just turn me in?"

"Ah, maybe to give you a chance to prove yourself? Why should we waste perfectly good skills?"

"I could find out things I shouldn't know. I could betray you."

"You think so?… This will go both ways, anyway, and you know that."

Sasuke looked down, his hands now fully encased in mud, escaping the control of Shikamaru's shadow technique slowly. Shikamaru was right, the deal was risky, for both of them.

"What, when I find out what I want to know?" He had to make sure.

"You can hope that you've proven your worth until then." Shikamaru smiled faintly. That was a promise, in some way.

Sasuke quietly thought it through, position forgotten for the moment. Shikamaru would not turn him in as long as he had enough trust in him. It would probably be as good as it got. Shikamaru held the knowledge of his origin in his hand and Sasuke knew, even though he didn't truly have the choice to refuse, Shikamaru's deal was kinda fair. Proving himself was a reasonable condition and a chance.

"Fine, I accept your proposal." Hostility was gone from his voice and he immediately felt the shadow release him. The sensation caused him to shudder involuntary. He tried to pull his hands out of the mud. They were stuck. He sighed in defeat and for the first time since Shikamaru had him trapped, he felt the Nara's gaze on him.

"Here." Shikamaru had gotten up and produced some board to walk over to him. With his help Sasuke could finally escape the moor's hold. Hands and legs all covered with mud and dirt, Sasuke stood in the light breeze. He looked over at Shikamaru, searching his gaze.

Shikamaru harrumphed: "I expect you to talk with whomever you work with on missions. I don't know why you chose not to, but you will not continue. Missions are too important for such games. That is no request, am I clear?"

"Hai."

Sasuke was not pleased, but of course understood the condition and why Shikamaru demanded it. Really, it might even be better to no longer use the Sharingan here in Konoha, if he had to use his voice again anyway. Still, it would be quite a change in how he handled things.

0000000

Sakura was quite shocked when she opened the door to see Tatakai drenched in mud, standing just behind a still mostly clean Shikamaru.

"Oh, my… Wait here, just… I'll be right back." She said, hurrying back into the apartment and returning with a towel a moment later. She asked them inside after handing Tatakai the towel with which he tried to limit the mess on the entrance's floor. He more or less succeeded... When he had gotten most of it, he went for the bathroom.

Sakura invited Shikamaru to join her and Kakashi in the living room, setting up more tea.

"So, you two enjoyed yourself?" Sakura said politely, wondering if she should ask what happened to their planned rematch, this didn't look like the results of a Shogi session. Did she miss something?

"Well, I did. I can't talk for Tatakai though. I doubt the 'landing in the mud' part was all that fun."

"Eh, you're probably right." Sakura served him tea, which he thankfully took.

"So Shikamaru, it's unlike of you to actively search out a fight, isn't it?" Kakashi spoke up. "What lead up to that?"

"Ah, I had some things to discuss with Tatakai, and I thought that the best way to do so, would be during a spar. I think we should wait for him, to talk about it I mean…"

0000000

Sasuke leaned against the shower stall. The water was splashing on him pleasantly, he however paid it no mind. How had he just agreed to that? Especially the talking part!?… Never would he have thought that anyone would have such an easy time to get him to take up speaking again.

What had tipped the other off? He knew that his visits to the clan compound couldn't have been it, though the Nara had been suspicious of him back then already. What had it been? He really had no idea. He pushed his head against the wall, annoyed with the lack of progress. He'd have to ask him, so he could avoid it in the future. Great, more conversation…

Right now, it would probably be best to get dressed and face his life again. Not that he really had a choice. He grabbed the clean clothes he had quickly taken from his room and put them on. Then he rubbed off his hair and then went to the living room.

When he pushed the slide door aside, three heads inside turned to him: Sakura, Kakashi and Shikamaru all looked up. Well, in retrospect, he could have knocked... Though it wasn't like they couldn't sense him. He remained in the doorframe, unsure about his next move.

"Hi Tatakai, come on in. Join us." Sakura said quickly, pointing next to her.

He took note that all of them were drinking tea and one additional cup waited for him innocently on the Kotatsu. He stepped besides her and gracefully folded his knees under him to sit down. Somehow, even though both Shikamaru and Kakashi were definitely lounging, the action seemed very formal to him. For a moment, no one spoke.

"Well, then, he's here." Sakura finally broke the silence, looking into the circle. Shikamaru took the cue.

"Alright, so I spoke with Tatakai today…"

Sasuke threw Shikamaru a warning glance. The Nara just continued unworriedly.

"...and he agreed to lend his skills to the village for missions and such. I thought to either have him do missions with my or with your Team, Kakashi. Well, ultimately, he's yours, Sakura, but as far as I know you that won't be a problem, will it?"

"Oh, no! I really like the idea, actually. Would be great to have you with us, Tatakai. Allows you to get out more, too, no?" Sakura's voice had an enthusiastic quality to it.

It took effort to hide his emotions. How could Shikamaru just go and tell everyone about this so casually, without even giving him a heads-up!? This hadn't been what he'd agreed to, though he couldn't really claim that the Nara had truly betrayed him. It just had come so unexpectedly quick.

Sasuke's answer came with about as much enthusiasm and elaboration as expected, in a simple, standard "Hn".

00000

Kakashi critically observed the discussion. He'd seen Tatakai's expression darken with the mention of the agreement. It made him curious how Shikamaru had made him compliant and what he'd might have promised in return.

Kakashi turned to Tatakai to regard him with a keen eye. The other met his stare head on, fire smoldering in the dark iris. "And you will accept my decisions and any orders if you so happen to be in my team? Will I have your word?"

Sasuke felt the Nara's gaze on him, reminding him of the conditions he had agreed to with pressing assurance.

"Hai." His voice wasn't loud, but it didn't need to be. This was the first step of the deal of working with them, breaking his silence.

"Well then, I suppose I can work with that for now. I will think of something… Good luck with your greens, Sakura. And I'm looking forward to working with you, Tatakai." Kakashi nodded into the circle and excused himself.

Shikamaru said goodbye soon after. Sakura saw him to the door while Sasuke stayed back and returned to the living room a minute later, averting her eyes insecurely. She didn't expect him to chat with her now, did she? There was a pregnant pause between the two until she finally shifted.

"Alright, we've waited long enough with these herbs. We should really process them today otherwise some agents will be gone. Would you set up some water, please? We need it hot and sterile."

Wordlessly, Sasuke raised and did as asked and soon they were preparing the first batch of herbs. He was pouring seething water over them as Sakura explained the next steps.

They were at it for the rest of the day. She taught him how to make tinctures, creams and how to conserve some. He didn't mind, it was useful knowledge and it was easier to learn from demonstration than from books.

Beside her interposed questions, he also saw other questions in her eyes. Questions she didn't ask though. Usually, he wouldn't have cared, would have preferred people to mind their own business. But he knew she was curious, she'd been nosy all since his arrival, so why was she holding back now? Was she afraid? Afraid of him, or the answer?... He realized that her reticence bothered him. He was waiting for it! Since when had they switched positions?

In the end, after Sakura had declared them finished, they both just sat on the sofa for a little while. Neither one initiating more conversation. She didn't ask her questions and Sasuke didn't touch upon it either.

0000000

Loud banging on the front door next morning was the reason for Sasuke to take the pan off the stove. He guessed right with that it was the annoyingly persistent bone-head who sought entrance again.

Naruto was met with a fist when he tried to barge in just when the door opened.

"Teme, what was that for?" He rubbed his jaw. The hit could have been harder, they both knew it. Sasuke wordlessly let him enter, closing the door quietly.

"Wow, this smells good!" Naruto had already found his way into the kitchen when Sasuke joined him. He slapped his hands away automatically and got the dishes out. Naruto had already taken a seat.

"They assigned us a D-Rank today, can you believe it? D-Rank, what is Baa-chan thinking? It's a waste of skill."

"Oh, Kakashi probably requested one after he left here yesterday." Sakura was standing in the door frame, still in her pajamas and looking tired as if she hadn't slept a lot at all.

Sasuke had heard her toss and turn in bed at night, however, heeded her request of not enter her room if he didn't know whether she was decent or not. He hadn't gotten up, waiting for the point where the day's exhaustion caught up with him and knock him out.

It wasn't really his business anyway, he wouldn't be the one to ask questions.

Naruto's voice returned him to the current time. Annoyed, Sasuke filled a plate and shoved it under Naruto's nose. Naruto grabbed onto the plate, starting to eat, not losing any words about it.

"Dobe!" Sasuke roughly pushed the others head towards the food.

"Teme! What was that for?"

Tatakai ignored Naruto's beef and instead filled Sakura's plate, handing it to her quietly, all gentleman. Taking it it with a smile, she joined them. Naruto's eyes widened, automatically lowering his spoon as he realized that he should have waited for the others. Sakura had watched their exchange quizzically. Tatakai had spoken, even though it just had been an insult, and he was acting more openly and natural than she'd ever seen him do. Now she sat waiting, signaling with her gaze for him to join them. Quickly, he took a few tomatoes from the fridge, sitting down on the third chair. She wondered if Naruto was aware that Tatakai had given the meal to him he'd intended for himself. But that was something they had to settle amongst themselves.

"Itadakimasu!" She bowed her head in thanks toward Tatakai, who only took a bite from the tomato he held in his hand, not acknowledging her much.

"So what is the D-Rank about. Naruto. You haven't told us that part yet…?"

"Eh, uh… I came straight here. It starts like in half an hour, thought I'd get my team together first… I haven't checked yet." Naruto took out the scroll, putting it on the table for all to see.

Sasuke barely leaned forward, having a good view already. So he'd be alone again today... not that he minded. He was done reading far quicker than the others. Sakura finally leaned back while Naruto still intently stared at the paper when Sakura spoke up:

"Hmm, I can see why they didn't assign a Genin team, but us instead. I think you'll enjoy the mission, Naruto."

"What's so great about having to build up stands for a festival?"

"Urgh, Naruto, can't you read to end carefully for once? Seriously, the work is cut out for you!"

"Building up stands… even villagers can manage that..." Naruto mumbled sulking, though looking over the paper again.

"Aah, wait…. Four people?… This mission says four people! But Sai's on a mission. The mission clerk said nothing about someone else assisting us."

Sasuke looked up, checking if Sakura was missing these peculiar habits about her teammate, or chose to rightout ignore them… But she already inhaled to talk again. Sasuke was wondering, if Naruto had read the mission instructions right, indeed.

"As I said, Kakashi probably requested a mission yesterday. The fourth member will be Tatakai therefore."

"What?" Naruto's spoon dropped once more.

Apparently, no one had informed Naruto about the newest developments yet.

"Oh, sorry, I suppose no one told you yet." A slight blush hushed on her cheeks. Tatakai agreed to help us out yesterday… So yeah, he's with us now." She paused to let the words sink in but seeing that they would need to be at places soon, she continued. "Let's just discuss the mission now. I'll try finding Kakashi afterwards. We should be going soon… So, how about you, Naruto, start thinking up pranks while preparing the fireworks? They want a challenge parcours for kids and I'm sure you'll need all the time you get to set that up after finishing the firework preps. Sounds good?"

The lapse of reaction was only noticeable if you looked for it, Naruto usually was quick to pick up things and piece them together after all. Sasuke had been waiting for it, though.

"Pranks?" Naruto finally spoke up. "Sounds good, leave it to me. Hey Tatakai, you're with me!" Naruto pointed his spoon at him. His target looked unimpressed. "Aah, come on! It will be fun. You'll get a crash course in how to prank from number one Prankster in Konoha!"

"Hn" Sasuke pointed towards the used dishes.

"Dishwashing!? Really? You can do that later, man. It won't go bad."

"Naruto, let him do his job first. I'll go change, then search for Kakashi. Don't kill each other while I'm away..." Sakura left the room.

As quick as that, the both of them were alone, and Sasuke's smoldering gaze met Naruto's enthusiastic one. Wordlessly, he got up to wash the plates and Naruto, for once, remained quiet. Sulking, he was trying to stare him down first, but then got up and even helped him dry. Together, the work was quickly done and they made their way to the mentioned location. Naruto had cheered up again on the way, and as they went to collect the items needed, he was back in his talkative mood.

"So, ever done fireworks before, Tatakai?"

"Not really."

Naruto looked up, not truly having expected a response, but happy about it nonetheless.

"I'll show you how then."

They both sat, coding the flower-fires and preparing the tags to set off at a simple command. It was quite interesting for Sasuke to see the blonde write out complex seals when he just shortly had witnessed the other struggling with reading. He searched out the other's eyes, almost transferring the thought in his mind before he realized what he was doing. He looked away a tiny moment, then harrumphed irritatedly.

Naruto looked up in question. It brought Sasuke back from his musings, self conscious as to what he'd been about to ask and how easily it almost had slipped out. Sasuke had witnessed the other doing it. Waiting for the mission to be discussed; waiting for the others to divide up the work, explaining it in the process; Distracting in any way, if it meant to keep them from finding out about his hardships.

Sasuke wondered if Kakashi was aware of it, too? He'd have to observe. He looked at what Naruto was writing, knitting his eyebrows at what he wrote out with the sealing radicals. This one seemed fairly complex, much more complex than what Naruto had instructed him on. It looked like a design for a chain reaction of forms that the sparks would spread out of. And he'd explained the basic forms, as in 'how do you do a circle', 'a star' and such.

Naruto's seals however had more swing, some were painstakingly regular, as any geometrical form would be. Some seemed mirrored, others might even have been animated. How come Naruto was so good in drafting seals? How could someone who seemed to struggle with reading be able to map out seals so masterly? However, observing Naruto's creations, Sasuke did in fact see some logic behind, maybe it wasn't actually all that hard. Naruto, by now, had taken note of where Sasuke had been staring.

"Looks cool, doesn't it?"

"Hn." The noncommittal sound seemed to encourage the other further.

"You wouldn't believe how useful simple seals are for pranks! Took me a while to get the hang of it, but Kakashi never knew what hit him, hehe… Oh yes, that was tons better than the chalk eraser that first day."

Sasuke returned his attention to the tag seals, not sure if he wanted to know the story behind that. A few minutes later, they were finishing up.

"Alright, now you'll get a little crash course in pranking. I'm guessing you haven't had the pleasure, have you? As a slave, I mean."

Sasuke didn't care to voice his opinion on the matter, he only motioned Naruto to lead the way. What he discovered was, that they were actually setting up a mock parcours for the kids with traps, challenges and, specialty of Naruto, apparently prank-ish special effects.

"Hey, Tatakai, what do you think of splitting up the way here with a trap door?" He was pointing at a spot on the draft he had made. Sasuke just shrugged. He had no opinion of it and really didn't care.

They continued and Sasuke grew continuously more annoyed at Naruto and his antics. He was glad when Naruto announced, that he needed to collect some more items and left him to finish up the trap. Sasuke breathed out in relief.

He could barely believe it. That idiot was still the same attention seeking annoyance as back when they went to school together. It seemed ridiculous that they asked him to do pranks now when back then, everyone had been so annoyed about it. He remembered having witnessed Naruto getting yelled at many times enough... This whole day, memories had been surfacing, as Naruto lead him to places and corners where Sasuke had been before as a kid. Naruto's gimmicks were still so similar to back then, while he himself had changed so drastically. Sasuke remembered running through these streets with his other Uchiha kids, he remembered having fun with them. The memories hurt. All of these people were dead now. None of them would run around the corner to join him. He was alone.

Naruto wasn't. The realization took him off guard somehow, so much that he ceased the hand movements, which had been in the process of binding together wooden logs for that trap door. Naruto, with his annoying antics: He had friends.

Sasuke had seen it in Sakura's eyes: The passive leniency with which she expressed her fondness towards Naruto. Every time Naruto almost took her door down in the early morning; all the little gestures that spoke of deep caring; the reprimanding without actually backing up with consequences… He'd seen it with Sai, too: Sai, who seemed weirdly impaired in emotional aspects but claimed that Naruto had reached out to him and given him hold somehow. Even Kakashi expressed it: Sometimes with a sad look in the eyes, he patiently overlooked Naruto's behavior.

And here he stood, isolated, without perspectives to improve his situation: A slave to Sakura, having spent the time before slavery half plotting revenge against his brother, half trying to figure out Itachi's reasons for doing what he'd done.

It hurt so much to remember that he'd known Itachi was indeed awake one time when Sasuke had held a knife above his temple. For once Itachi hadn't done anything to stop him. He simply had lain there, not speaking, unmoving, eyes closed and eyelids relaxed. His breathing only slightly hitched in what sounded like symptoms of a cold, not from awareness that someone was there with harmful intentions.

Then again Sasuke had known that he was awake, because Itachi's instincts were far too strong to not move, when he felt danger, even asleep. He simply had to be awake to repress them actively. The knowledge had felt like an ice cold grip around his heart.

He'd held the Kunai ready to drive down at any time. Staring down at his brother, his clan's murderer. The calm, serene expression the other wore, just as if he really were asleep. Why? He remembered so many questions that had run through his head. The tears threatening to spill at the thought of killing the only family he had left. That deep need to understand the foreigner before him, whom he had known as a kind loving brother a long time ago.

His hand had been shaking and he'd bitten his lip to keep his emotions in check. He remembered not feeling that pain at all though. It had felt like his thoughts would eventually rip him apart, so that insignificant temporary pain was nothing to pay attention to.

This murderer wasn't supposed to simply lay there and let Sasuke kill him. He always had canceled out any attempt while training. Even the less honourable attempts like poisoning a soup he'd prepared. Somehow Itachi had always known. He'd even asked Sasuke if he wanted him to drink it at that particular killing attempt. In hindsight, Itachi must have been testing him, his resolve, and Sasuke had been so shocked that he'd actually tried to stop Itachi when he indeed lifted the soup to his lips. Just for itachi to smile and poof out of existence a moment later. Sasuke still remembered the relief flooding through him, shaking him to his core.

He wondered if he wanted his brother to be alive still. Whether it would be better if he just died from whatever disease that had been gnawing at him back then; without anyone helping along. Or if it would be okay, too, if someone else got there first before Sasuke had a chance to try again. How much did he really want to claim revenge? Did he want the kill be his and his alone? He wanted it to be his own choice in the end, not by Itachi's will or "approval"...

Sasuke also remembered that incident when he'd held that Kunai. He'd expected that it was a trap again. He'd never had a chance against his perfect brother before. Was this a Kage Bunshin, another shadow clone… like it had been with the soup? He realized, even with the Sharingan on, he had no way to know but to follow his instincts, which told him that this was indeed the real Itachi, and no clone. Sasuke had drawn in another ragged breath, his whole body shaking under the emotional strain. He just couldn't do it. It felt wrong, especially when he was so unsure; when he felt so divided about his brother. Suppressing a scream, he'd slowly lowered his hand and had stared at Itachi's face, just to discover tears streaming down from his brother's closed eyes.

Up till today Sasuke wasn't sure what those tears had meant. Only that it had been one of the only times, Itachi had cried directly in front of him. Had Itachi been sad that his own brother had the wish to kill him?… Or, as came to Sasuke's mind a few days later when the coughing started (which not only didn't stop for a long time, but also looked unbearably painful and had left Itachi drained and weak), had Itachi actually had a weak moment and had wanted to die? He didn't even want to consider that possibility. It left him feeling cold.

Where was his brother now? Sasuke refused to believe him dead. In the years being together with him, he had realized that Itachi actually was far from perfect; that he indeed actually had weaknesses and that he was worryingly sick, but if anything, his brother was tough. Sasuke felt himself shivering.

Remembering the tears that he himself had spilt after seeing his brother cry back then, he, once again, felt closer to tears than he liked. Violently shaking his head, Sasuke forced himself back to the present, picking up his work again. He focused on his hands as if they would help him to keep in the present this time. Still, every once in a while, his thoughts ran back to the pictures burned into his mind.

Naruto returned some minutes later, playfully greeting him by throwing some kind of ball towards his head. Sasuke swiftly picked it out of the air and threw it back with such force and tempo, that Naruto barely had time to dodge.

"Hey woah!... What kind of thunder cloud have you transformed into now? I meant no harm!"

Naruto's appeasing smile only reminded him of his musings before they had wandered to Itachi, and that certainly didn't help his mood either. Luckily Naruto had turned to create whatever he had planned to build and by the time they were done in this corner, he himself had calmed down considerably.

"Hey Teme, are you any good with Genjutsu?" Naruto restarted conversation. "Maybe you could cover this place for me? I'll start with the next one already, alright?" Naruto evaded an answer by being gone in a moment's notice. Sasuke had had no time to protest.

Vexed, Sasuke got to work, only to follow where Naruto had gone a moment later. His tracking skills lead him to the river. A safe, calm spot that had no turbulences and could easily be supervised from a guard's watch tower.

Naruto was at the edge of it, leaning over some log, or rather, there were multiple Narutos: Some were leaning over said logs, others pulling them into the water. Another flash of memories: He knew this part, he'd taken that challenge too, as a child, as an academy student. Back, when his world still had been complete and undisturbed.

"Oy Teme, don't just look, come help me!"

It sure didn't look like the idiot needed help though, which was why Sasuke hesitated. It hadn't been the first time today that Naruto had used clones, but he never had used that many. Really, on a good day his brother could create up to seven shadow clones for a short time… However right now he could see at least thrice as many Narutos, if not more.

Sasuke felt unneeded.

Sasuke stared at the finished log crossing across the river. Actually it was part of a training routine for pre-Genin and Genin. The logs were just taken out for maintenance. Before the festival, they were thoroughly checked and any unsuitable logs would be replaced and then chained up to each other again, end to end. He remembered Itachi having brought him here to train balance once, too, outside of festival time.

Naruto was just finishing up, only two remaining clones were still helping. Soon they popped out of existence as well.

"Alright, we're done here. Let's meet up with Sakura and Kakashi now."

Sasuke followed Naruto. It wasn't easy to keep track of him. Not in the matter of speed but Naruto was rooting for passages he himself wouldn't even consider using (not if he had the option of roof-top travel)… Naruto slit into shadowed, small alleys and let himself drop into backyards. Sasuke frowned, why Naruto would still do so, these days?

"Aah, wasn't that fun? Our own little challenge for today!" Sasuke only stared at him.

They found Sakura and Kakashi at a more lively area, building up a stage.

"Aah, finally! Took you two long enough. Come on, we need all the hands we can get."

"Ey, we were super fast, right Tatakai? Well, he definitely is new to pranking though, gotta teach him some stuff." Naruto had readily jumped in and started assisting. Sasuke stayed where he was, folding his arms. Why should he lift a finger if Naruto could simply create his clones?

"Hey Tatakai, why aren't you helping? Come on, it's not that heavy. Don't worry, we won't make you lift things that are still too heavy while you're recovering. If it doesn't work out, there's still us."

Sasuke stared at Sakura, somewhat flabbergasted. Had she forgotten what he was? Why didn't she just order him? And then that comment, if it was too heavy for him… No one had ever told him something like that, what was this silliness? There had always been expectations to fulfill, with his family, with Itachi, and as a slave it hadn't been all that different (though he'd certainly rebelled against it far more). Sure, she hadn't implied that he was incapable, he'd caught on to that, but really, why didn't they simply do it themselves with Naruto and his clones. Naruto's trained body was much more suitable than his indeed still recovering one. as she herself had mentioned it…

The whole concept of being here, it was nonsense. Sakura didn't seem to realize his status, so why help? They were more than capable to finish this on their own. They didn't even need real ninja skills for this. Sasuke had made his decision and turned away angrily. Yes, he was leaving.

"Hey, Tatakai, what's wrong?" Sakura called out.

He didn't stop. They clearly wouldn't understand his reasons, and he didn't care anyway. He'd had enough.

"Teme, you can't just leave! We're in the middle of a mission..." Naruto, who had been standing by a pile of planks he'd been picking up, saw Tatakai's shoulders move with a bitter chuckling sound, but the other didn't turn back around to the construction site. The other didn't even bother to answer, only continued walking away with steady steps.

"Teme! Haven't you ever heard about what team means? There is still work to do. You accepted this mission like everyone else, so do your part!"

Sasuke kept walking. Outwards the words didn't seem to have any effect on him, inside though, a storm was boiling. Team?! Team suggested equality. What choice had he had but to accept the mission? And as for "Do your part", Sakura clearly had stated that they'd cover his part in case he couldn't. Why were they still bothering him? He was sick of it. Sick of the memories; Sick of the whole dealing with people; Sick of the confusion; Sick of everything. His need to be alone just increased in the light of their demands as he walked.

He barely blocked the incoming attack, but disarmed Naruto from his Kunai in time and pointed it back towards him, not to actually threaten, but to keep him at distance. His nerves lay bare.

"What's the hell wrong with you!?" Naruto's eyes mirrored Sasuke's confusion. "I won't let you leave us, hear me? We'll complete this mission together!"

Sasuke put all his anger into the punch and in the blink of an eye they were in combat.

What was wrong with him , they asked? What was wrong?… What was wrong with them ? What did Sakura want with him? And why was Naruto so hell bent in having him on their team, here, today!?

His eyes flashed red: 'Why?!'

Another punch; Another block; Another Kunai thrown. Naruto was screaming at him now.

"WHY? Because you're part of us now! You're part of the team! There is no 'I' in 'TEAM', heard me? Would you walk away in a battle, too? Are you that kind of Shinobi? Well, in that case, you better shouldn't be one!"

Oh, he didn't say that! Sasuke sped up, seething now. But Naruto attacked first, Sasuke evaded him, landing a kick. The monument threw Naruto back, making him cough and gasp for breath, but he picked himself up quickly, running at Sasuke again. They were grabbing each other, digging in their nails. Sasuke could feel Naruto's hot breath.

"Would you? ...Dare to abandon us on a mission? Do you even realize what you're doing? What that means? To 'abandon' someone! And you call me 'useless'... You don't do that, hear me? You just don't!"

He threw the other backwards with violence, the action accompanied by a roar, racking through his (and everyone else's) bones. He'd been screaming in frustration.

"Calm down!" Kakashi's voice carried over.

Sasuke ignored the old man's words, turning back to Naruto, his actual opponent. "Don't you dare judge me!"

Sasuke was back on Naruto, delivering more punches, forcing him to block and dodge. He was shaking.

"Then start acting like a man and help!"

The reply to that came with violence. Sasuke had grabbed Naruto by his throat. "Do it yourself, clone-maker! You and your entourage, you don't need me! I don't belong. Stop acting like I do!"

Then, Sasuke was grabbed in a headlock from behind and forced to let go of Naruto. Sasuke marginally saw the fair head stumbling backwards, coughing, Sakura upon her comrade within a moment... But he was quite occupied with fighting off the hands holding him. How dare they touch him? How dare they push him to explode?

"Leave me alone!" He yelled.

"You're causing a commotion." Kakashi's voice was in his ears.

Like he would care.

"Your deal was to assist the missions. Have you forgotten already?"

"This is no mission. Anyone can do this. I don't see the point. This is no ninja work, and if so, then use Kage Bunshin! Me helping is pointless." Sasuke had ceased trying to wind out of the grasp, though his fingers still clawed Kakashi's arm.

"Ah, so you're failing to see the point in this mission, is that what you're saying? I'm glad we figured that out. You clearly don't understand anything about some most basic things about being a ninja, then. I think I should ask you then if you've ever worked in a team before at all!?"

"Of course I have-"

Kakashi cut him off. "Do you understand the importance of trust?… Naruto, Sakura, would you please wrap this up? I'll take this conversation somewhere more private! "

Sasuke had barely heard anything after the word "trust".

Trust, tch. It made him laugh, more bitter even than before. Trust? Yes, he knew trust. He could trust in the fact that he couldn't understand his brother…

Kakashi suddenly let go, pushing Sasuke away, grabbing his arm immediately. "Come on, we're leaving." The youth was pulled along.

Sasuke didn't keep track of where they were going, in fact they were already traveling through the woods a good minute when he gathered his senses enough to realize, that Kakashi was still holding his arm. He tried to rip it away and Kakashi released him at once, much to Sasuke's surprise. Sasuke just followed without thinking until Kakashi stopped.

"And?... Do you understand it?… The meaning of trust?"

That word concept which had been alienated to him to the point where he didn't know if he could take it serious anymore. He barely suppressed the need to laugh.

"Trust.…" Kakashi really found himself so smart, didn't he? The chuckling broke free again. This was just so macabre... funny. His brother , killing their whole clan, but trust him to keep him, his brother, alive… Trust him to not explain himself. Trust him to train his only brother, so he could hold his own, but still have his back in missions together.

Had Itachi ever trusted him, though? He, who had thought about taking revenge almost every day? Itachi had actually let him have his back, but Sasuke knew, often enough Itachi could have easily managed on his own. And finally, trust his brother to become a slave to save his brother's life…

"What do you understand about it?" The kid just screamed, not having calmed down at all. Kakashi had long ago recognized the crazed expression on his face. Apparently 'trust' had not been a good word.

"What is on your mind?" He carefully asked. It was clear that he was treading dangerous ground. Anything could set the other off.

"As if I would tell you!"

"Touché." Kakashi said, innerly rolling his eyes. Seems like this almost grown-up still had the same childish attitude/moments, much like some others he knew... But he'd better use the opportunity to maybe relief the atmosphere of some tension. "Alright, moving on. What do you think this mission was about?" He needed to distract him, to get him to calm down. Indeed, the other took the question in, and set out to reply, a bit more calmly. And the answer itself was not quite what he had thought it might be, either, much more thought through than expected in fact.

"If it was to test my reliance, I think it's not really telling. I understand why Naruto did the parcours, but building up a stage isn't ninja work at all."

Kakashi took his time carefully thinking over his words before answering. "You haven't been raised as a ninja belonging to a village, have you?"

"No, I suppose not." He said dismissively. The answer was satisfyingly calmer than the last, but still had a certain bite in it.

"Do you know how a village's system introduces Shinobi to their job?" He prodded, hoping to get the other to further think and get back on the ground with his emotions through it. Somewhere inside Kakashi was amused, now that Tatakai's silence was broken, he was quite capable of holding a conversation.

"They graduate from academy, start as Genin, work their way up, take the Chuunin test and so on. Every child knows that."

"True. However, that was not what I meant. Let's stay with the Genin for a moment. Genin start out with relatively simple missions, called D-Ranks. Missions that have less to do with ninja work, but more with teamwork. Because, how will you be able to rely on your team, if you don't know how one works?! Of course higher ups don't need that anymore, as they know how a team functions and how they need to act to fit in. However, they will still train together to attune to one another.

"Genin, however, don't have that experience yet, so they need to learn what working together means, especially in non dangerous situations. They need learn to be acutely aware of their teammates' skill-set and personality traits to make it work. That is why they take on small missions in the village itself, like weeding someone's garden, searching for a pet, or even walking the dogs.

"Now, we don't know you at all, so it was important for me, as the team leader, to see how you would react to such a mission…"

So, it was as Sasuke had thought, a test of reliance. His tantrum surely hadn't helped his score. But what the other said... it made sense, even though he had hardly heard about those missions from Itachi, who really had been pushed through the ranks. Kakashi was still missing the point, though.

"... but I might have miscalculated the position you're in. See, I don't know if you knew, but Sai is a slave, too. So I didn't think it would be a problem, however, having grown up in our village, his background is different from yours."

Sasuke only huffed at that. No joke…

"So, yes, you're right, we didn't truly need you on this mission. Yet it was important for you to be there and help. The point was to get the work done as a team, you included." Kakashi well recalled what Tatakai had screamed in his rage. It would be important for them to have that confusion out of the way: Tatakai had mentioned that he didn't belong.

"I think it's time to clear up some things. For one, I know your owner is in the team with you here. I know this must be weird for you, but Sakura does not see it that way. As long as you're working together with us, within the team, you will be seen as equal… just like Sai. Even though it might be easier for him, since his owner does not participate in missions…" Kakashi shortly shrugged with his shoulders before he continued.

"Then another thing: There will come a time some day where we will be on a mission and then we will need to be able to rely on you. While you might be bound to Sakura, this does not ensure your loyalty, so you will still need to prove that to us. But I assure you, if you do, you will be taken on missions where you're gonna be needed at some point. Even so, we often take on missions that technically could be taken on with fewer people, but depending on the danger, having backup is very important. Therefore, you're right, sometimes it might feel like we're too many people, but most often, there is a reason behind that.

"And also, though I doubt you actually believed that Naruto's technique was an ultimate solution, I'll tell you his shadow clones might be useful, but he also has his weaknesses. Therefore it's good to have other people with other ways to approach things."

Kakashi observed Tatakai, just as Tatakai observed him. There was no doubt that Tatakai had fully understood what he had said, even if he didn't express so in words.

Sasuke indeed had taken in Kakashi's words. He agreed with Naruto having weaknesses very much, the loudmouth had surprised him a couple of times today, though. He still refused to look at today's activities as a real mission, even if he could see the reasoning behind it.

"Aah, and one more thing. I apologize for Naruto… While I agree with what he says, I've been the one teaching him after all, he shouldn't have accused you like he did. For you to understand, one of my main beliefs is that in the Shinobi world, those that break the written and unwritten rules are deemed trash… but be that as it may… Those that would disregard their comrades so easily are even worse than trash. And those who don't have the decency to respect the memories of their comrades are the worst.

"Naruto has adapted this world view. In addition to that, he's grown up very lonely, so his comrades, his team, mean everything to him. He doesn't take lightly to someone challenging that belief."

Sasuke stared at him. He hadn't had comrades since before the massacre. And for now there was only one thought ringing through his head:

"Then… what about family?"

Itachi hadn't just killed his comrades, he had killed his entire family, him being the only exception. But he had also been the one to teach him what this man had just told him. He hadn't voiced it a lot, only once or twice. But Itachi had lived the words he had taught. He indeed respected the memory of the ones he'd murdered. And he had never fought Sasuke's open scorn towards him either, he had borne it silently without complain.

Kakashi had not expected a question, especially not one like that. But now that Tatakai mentioned it, he recalled reading about him having a brother. Painting Tatakai in an image of what he represented now, a lone fighter, someone with no one to trust and rely on. He simply didn't know what to make of it. He had no idea of Tatakai's past, the glimpses that had been revealed were few and without obvious relation. In addition to that, betrayal wasn't uncommon in Shinobi families either. In the end any bonds could be a risk and trust was indeed a hard issue. But it was a necessary part for teamwork even so.

"I don't know anything about you Tatakai, however, I will at least try to answer your question. I believe in the Shinobi world, sometimes the bonds you've chosen feel more reliable than the bonds given by the family. In the end, everyone of us chooses their own path based on what they set their hopes on. And family for me is a term that defines those you love, those that are important to you. Regardless of any blood relations. Is that understandable?"

Sasuke nodded with a faraway look in his eyes. Indeed, it was an interesting thought, and funnily enough he'd never really thought about all this deeper. He never had any reason to. Back when he'd lived in Konoha, family always had been the most important matter. And family didn't only mean the close degree of kinship, but the entire clan, the great Uchiha kin. Outsiders were tolerated but derided often enough. Sasuke had learned that he could only rely on his own blood. His father had taught him these values, cherished them. Then Itachi had killed them all and suddenly all that Sasuke had left of the one and only reliable core he'd known, had been the one who'd betrayed them, their murderer. There just had to be a reason! What was it that Itachi had his hopes on? Or had he really just snapped under the pressure of the Clan? Had Itachi ever expressed any hopes at all?

Actually, Sasuke remembered Itachi trying to get him to interact and spend time with other people… strangers… even some villagers, non-Shinobi at far off places… All outsiders. Sasuke, however, had continued to refuse any advances at trying to change his social life. What had Itachi tried to achieve with that?

Sasuke just didn't understand at all. He heard Kakashi clear his throat, as if to get his attention.

"Well. I know this is hard, and that you most likely won't ever act on the offer, but just so you know. As a member of my team, I want you to know that you may come to me if there is anything bothering you… I know you don't trust me… and I know that I wouldn't either, if I was in your position. But just know, I'll try to be there for you, should you need it."

No kidding, he could never trust this man. Not without knowing how an outsider had gained his Clan's Kekkei Genkai. The eye was covered by the forehead protector right now, but that only reminded Sasuke, that this man indeed had it. Right, this man wished him to trust, this would be posed as a new test, a way to get the information he wanted. He just had to think of a way to not reveal the reason of his interest, nor any possible backtracking the fact, that he was an Uchiha.

Kakashi had seen the little tiny changes on Tatakai's face, ending in a determined stare, one, that didn't fully fit with the hesitant way the question was presented.

"Alright, then tell me… I thought these eyes were extinct… how come you possess one?"

00000

She saw her teammate falling to the ground, but by the time she'd reached him, Naruto already was getting back on his feet, though still heaving. He sucked in air in gasps to fill his lungs with fresh air. Sakura immediately started checking him over. She heard the screaming behind them, but paid it no heed. Only after she had verified to herself, that Naruto was alright, she turned her attention back to the happenings:

"... understand anything about some most basic things about being a ninja, then. I think I should ask you then if you've ever worked in a team before at all!?" She knew Kakashi's Sensei mode well.

"Of course I have..." Tatakai's voice proved of the rebellion against the words, but Kakashi didn't let him finish.

"Do you understand the importance of trust?… Naruto, Sakura, would you please wrap this up, I'll take this conversation somewhere more private!"

Sakura turned to Kakashi at the mention of her name and quickly nodded. Tatakai's expression had looked nowhere stable nor safe for society. Within a blink Kakashi had disappeared from the site with Tatakai in tow. Naruto appeared at her side. He did not look directly shaken, but rather absorbed in something. He wasn't quite brooding, but thoughtful didn't fit, either. Wordlessly they got back to building up the stage.

That had been the first time when she had really heard Tatakai talk… And it hasn't been a pleasant experience. The accusing tone, the underlying confusion, but first and foremost, that honesty and directness. Very unusual for a ninja. Was that the reason why he didn't talk? No, she doubted that, it didn't fit. What stayed in her mind however, were his words.

"... You don't need me!..."

The words left an uncomfortable touch in her thoughts… Did they?… need him? Well, with Naruto's Kage Bunshin, things could be simple, but he surely hadn't thought that this was all the mission was about. And then, there was another thing he'd said, that left her wondering.

"... I don't belong. Stop acting like I do!"

So this was how he saw them. The self-proclaimed mates and friends of his? Did he see Sai like that, too? Thinking of Sai: What if Sai was feeling the same way about their comradeship? No, Sai was different, he even consulted literature about how to intensify their friendship… But it didn't seem like Tatakai was very keen in making friends with them, nor trying to fit in the team.

If he'd wanted to stay a simple slave, he wouldn't had agreed in joining their teams on missions. ? So why was he so mad when they asked him for help? Working in a team made everything easier, quicker, safer, though this hadn't been a dangerous mission at all. Building up the stage was maybe a bit on the boring side, but every job had them, and as a ninja, there were peaks of boredom as well as those of excitement. She doubted that the tasks of a slave were more interesting than that…. And working with Naruto must be fun for another guy, she guessed. He always came up with something interesting and would make work fun in some way if he had the chance, like for the parcours today. So why was Tatakai so upset?... Her train of thought was broken by Naruto:

"Sakura, did you see his face when Kakashi mentioned 'trust'? I mean, he sure didn't like being criticized by Kakashi either, but… It looked like he went crazy… like, really mad." Naruto's expression reflected his concern.

"Kakashi will see to it. But Naruto, I don't think Tatakai wants friend. Maybe you should give him some space."

"Ugh, Sakura, of course he doesn't, just look at him! Didn't you hear what Kakashi was saying?"

"I was a bit preoccupied with your health to be honest. What was he saying?"

"He was asking him if he had worked in a team before. He also said that Tatakai didn't understand some ninja principles. That kinda surprised me... At last he was asking, if Tatakai understood the importance of trust… That's when he started laughing all psycho. Kinda scary, if you ask me."

Sakura looked at him. They were right, Tatakai's actions did mock some basic principles of Shinobi. However considering the other questions, like, if he had worked in a team… They suggested, that Kakashi didn't believe that it had been done intentionally. The subject of trust was a bit more difficult. She knew what Kakashi had meant. The question was, how Tatakai had taken it… clearly not very well.

"Let's just wait until they're back. Come on, help me put these support beams where they belong."

0000000

"Alright, then tell me… I thought these eyes were extinct… how come you possess one?"

Another weirdly placed question, though considering the boy's reaction to the eye, Kakashi could have expected it to come up at some point. And the other was giving him a chance at explaining, which he supposed, was good.

"First of all, you should know that it isn't my Sharingan, Tatakai. It's someone else's. He was an Uchiha, of course, but moreover, he was a friend. I received it on his deathbed."

Tatakai was observing him with cold eyes.

"I know, I can't give you any proof, but it is the truth. And if it meant that my friend could return to the living, I'd gladly sacrifice the Sharingan."

"What was his name?" The boy finally asked, voice icy.

"Uchiha Obito. I doubt you've ever heard of him. He died a long time ago."

The dark eyes watching him had turned away, a thoughtful expression on the face.

"Are there more people like you… owning… a Sharingan?"

"Never heard of anyone else, no. I might be the last Sharingan bearer." Kakashi looked out for any reaction, but the other had only taken on a guarded expression, making it hard to read him. "Are you afraid of me? Because of the Sharingan?"

"No." a suppressed chuckle, still cold in character, accompanied the short statement.

Kakashi regarded him closely. The boy was acting really strange. He searched the boy's face for answers. Tatakai met his eyes, but he didn't linger either, instead he straightened up, as if to go.

"Are we done here?"

The dismissive tone told Kakashi that the subject was considered closed. Weird.

Kakashi wasn't sure if his answer had set the other at ease. It seemed that, after the outburst, Tatakai had clad himself in an iron curtain of coldness and detachment. Something that reminded Kakashi a lot of his ANBU times.

"Yeah, I suppose. Let's go back and see if the others are done."

Tatakai followed him easily. It appeared that the others had finished on their own, so he sent Tatakai home.

00000

Sakura was indeed already home when he returned, reading some book in the kitchen. He went to his room, getting the things he needed for training, and was about to sneak out again when she opened her mouth, how unfortunate.

"Where are you going?"

He turned back, slamming down a slip of paper.

"Why don't you just say it? Wouldn't it be easier?... So you're going to train, now?"

"Hn"

"Alright, the festival starts at six. Be back here at five."

He left through the door without another word.

00000

Sasuke wasn't going. He wasn't planning to. He'd had enough of the memory lane for today and he wasn't keen to be in their presence any longer, either. Why did he have to go to the stupid festival anyway? Why couldn't he just come by a couple of times, check upon the parcours, and leave again, why did he have to attend? Too many memories tied back to Itachi with such events and the last thing he needed was another reminder.

He started on hand-to-hand combat exercises, then went over to Kenjutsu, drawing the practice sword. He didn't keep an eye on the time. Quite knowingly so.

00000

It was short before five when Sakura returned to the apartment. It having come to her mind, that Tatakai had no nice clothes to wear for the festival, she had taken matters into her own hands and went to search. Of course it was no obligation, but she thought a present like that would be a nice gesture, and also hopefully would make him feel a part of the group.

Actually what had happened was, that she had tracked down Naruto, to see if he was up to dressing up in traditional clothes, too, if he had any. Of course for him it ended up being on the orange side, a deep orange-red Kimono with black Hakama and Haori. But he'd actually been of some help picking out something for Tatakai.

That something had been white to dark blue in colour, simple, without ornaments. The suggestion of buying a Hakama had come from Naruto. It'd be more practical for moving around when they'd check up on the parcours this evening which was part of the mission. Sakura was pleased, that it would give him another set of clothing, a more formal one, which might come in handy sometimes.

She had a distinct feeling that Tsunade had set them up for this mission to get her out of the house. Then again, Kakashi had requested one for them, and pranks were Naruto's specialty, so maybe it was a little bit of all of those.

Quarter past five, she had changed out of her regular clothes and was tying the Obi around the waist. Wait, quarter past five? Tatakai had yet to return. Well, she'd give him five more minutes.

Ten minutes passed but he still hadn't shown up. Well, there was some time left. She decided to pick him up at the Hokage Monument (he should be there, according to his note)… a place he liked going to, apparently. When she got there, she however only found fresh tracks of practice, but no Tatakai. She must have missed him. But if had he gone home, they should have met on the way... Where was he? Well, the time frame was getting tighter now, better use that tracking seal now.

00000

Sasuke felt the seal. So she was searching. Yeah the sun told him that supposedly, he should have been home a while ago. Not that he cared. It wasn't his home. He wasn't an idiot, though, it would not help anyone to try to stay hidden, least of all him. What to do about the festival, he'd see to it when he met up with Sakura.

Walking, he wondered if Sakura realized that as long as her counter seal was active, the function went both ways. He could track her just as easily, just not on his own whim like she could... Ah, there she was. He felt her presence before he caught sight of her and stopped, startled. She wore a Yukata and wooden Geta shoes, and though it was to be expected to her wear traditional clothing for the festival, it bewildered him. He hadn't seen her wearing one before. She looked different.

"Ah, Tatakai, there you are… You're late. Come on, we gotta hurry." She grabbed his hand and took off. Annoyed he pulled his hand away. At least she didn't cling on.

When they arrived at the apartment, she quickly disappeared and he just went to his room to get his shower materials. No matter what came next, he didn't feel like staying sweaty if he had the option to wash. He was just coming out of his room, clothes in one hand, towel in another, when she reappeared in front of him.

"Here!" She held out a box.

Perplexed, he eyed it. It was big and he had no idea what this was about.

"Come on, open it." She seemed excited, a bit unsure.

He laid his things over his arm and took the box, lifting the lid carefully. Eyes widening slightly, when he saw the contents.

"It's a present, I realized that you had nothing adequate to wear for tonight. Naruto helped me pick it."

Naruto did? Now he was plain surprised, really. The clothes were nice. The design was simple, decent in color. And by the looks of it, she had even bought a Haori to wear over the Kimono. Slowly he closed the lid, staring at it. A present… Awkwardly, he leaned forward indicating a bow.

"Arigatou" The word had slipped through his lips so easily, this kind of modesty having been ingrained into his being as a child.

A knock interrupted them. The door opened to reveal a shock of orange.

"Hey, what are you still standing here? We're going to be late! Get moving!" Sasuke dodged the playful shove. Avoiding eye contact, he successfully escaped into the bathroom. Leaning against the door and staring down at the box, there was simply one thought in his mind: Shit…

This hadn't been how he had wanted to go about this evening.

It would be beyond impolite to not change into the offered clothes, as they clearly had been bought for him and this event… How could he refuse to go now?

0oOo0oOo0

Rain was the main reason why Sai searched refuge in a local inn after having completed the mission with success. He had hoped to be able to draw some place out, but with this weather, it was not a very attractive option.

He had checked in and was now in his room. It was small, but dry and comfortable. He had heard people move into the adjacent room but pretty soon, the noise eased to nothing. Either they were really quiet, or they had sealed their room. He'd only heard the door a couple of times, but nothing from within it. He looked at the clock. The landlady had said that dinner would be ready at six thirty. Might as well go down.

As it appeared he wasn't the only one that had come down early. There were already five guests. A three-headed family, quite obviously civilian, was sitting at a large table. The girl talked animatedly with the dad, who lifted her up to play. The other two were sitting on the other side of the room, in a very dark corner. If they talked at all, they were doing it very quietly.

Sai picked a small table from which he had a good view at the family. He felt like capturing the ease and trusting they showed to each other in a drawing, forgetting about any worries of the world for that moment of family time in a random inn. He wasn't jealous, he simply liked to draw.

When the landlady served him his meal, Sai had already coloured the drawing half way. He ate with practiced silence, keeping an eye on the happenings in the room, as he always did, a ninja habit. He therefore was rather surprised when one of the two other people at the back was suddenly gone. Sai's attention had been with the family who interacted with the landlady, so sure, there had been time to slip away. Still, it kinda surprised him. The other one was still sitting there, face cast in shadows. However pointedly glaring at Sai when their gazes briefly met. The face seemed ash gray and Sai wondered about the marks on his cheek bones. Though Sai was itching to draw the obscure appearance, he refrained from it, doubting that it would be taken kindly.

Soon the family left for upstairs. The other man got up not even five minutes later. Sai, now alone with the landlady, decided that it was probably best to move upstairs, too. He'd leave early next morning. He moved to the shared bathroom for all guests with his toothbrush in hand and was just about to open the door when he heard heavy breathing behind the door. Not the healthy kind, but the laboured one. He decided to knock. There, a lapse in the breathing pattern, suppressed coughing.

"Everything alright?" Sai asked politely. There was rustle of clothing, as if the other straightened up. The voice that reached him a moment later was hoarse.

"I'm…. just a moment."

He heard the tap… some splashing and other indecipherable noises, then it stopped and the door slit open. Sai looked into an sickly pale face.

"Gomen nasai."

The man's bangs hung into his eyes and he gently held onto the door frame still. Sai knew that face, even though he'd never seen it in real… He'd drawn it before, and just as he'd told the other, their features were quite similar. The man he saw did not match up with the laboured breathing he'd heard before. This one didn't look sick, and older than the version he'd drawn. The man stared at him irritatedly when Sai scrutinized him and Sai saw distrust slowly creep into the other's dark eyes. The man then determinedly took a step past Sai.

"Wait!" Sai had to know. The other turned around.

"Should I know you?" The voice was cold.

"Do you have a brother?" The man didn't react outwardly, but he answered anyway.

"What if I do?" Not even the tone of voice had changed much. If anything, it had gotten colder.

"He tried to draw you, you know?" The other squinted his eyes slightly, then determinedly grabbed Sai, pushing him into a room and Sai let it happen. He had wanted the man's attention and he seemed to have gotten it. This was the room next to his, the quiet one, Sai thought. The other man from the dining area sat on a chair by the desk, Sai could make out the skin tone as blue now. Actually, he knew he'd seen the face before, too.

Sai stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. He was circled. The man, previously behind him turned around. Not biding time with any pleasantries he stood tall, gaze dark and smothering. Feeling the glare upon him, Sai couldn't help but feel like he was about to be interrogated. This might not have been the best of ideas, but Sai valued family, and this man here was obviously missed by his brother in Konoha.

"What do you know about us? About him?" the unnamed brother asked.

"Not much, only that he's a slave and definitely has had a good swordsmanship teacher. And a good memory if his drawings of you are anything to go by."

The brother's reactions were minimal. "Where is he now?"

"Konoha."

The brother thinned his eyes slightly again. "Why did you tell me? Why do you care?" the hoarse voice prodded.

"We have some things in common, and he's my friend."

"Friend? Really? And these things are?"

"A brother, slavery, training, drawing…"

"So you are a slave, too. And a ninja."

"Yes."

The brother was still very calm, collected, unbothered to just have Sai's ninja status confirmed. But the moment didn't last. Sai hardly saw the movement before a hand closed around his throat. With his other hand, the brother grabbed his chin and forced open his mouth, without doubt looking for the seal on his tongue. He then was abruptly let go of and stumbled back.

" As I thought. One of Danzo's..."

This man knew Danzo?

" ...So that's where my brother ended up!? What's Danzo's message? What does he want? How did he know where to find me?"

" No. There is no message. Danzo is not his owner, a friend of mine is."

" And who would that be?"

Sai hadn't planned on revealing that, but seeing how quickly this conversation had gone south, he saw no way around it. He felt the other's chakra, he felt killing intent, carefully held under wraps, but not hidden completely. It held a sense of warning.

" Haruno Sakura."

" The Hokage's apprentice."

Another bit of information that shouldn't have been that well known outside of the village. Who was this man? Sai carefully said: "You can go and check up on him, you know where he is now. Danzo has nothing to do with it, I can assure you."

" How?" The man didn't seem convinced.

"Danzo knows that Sakura has a slave, but so far he hasn't shown much interest in him. And I doubt he would have had another set of eyes on him, since I'm in her closer social circle."

" You do report to him." The man accused in a casual voice.

" I have to tell him some things, but I get away with the bare minimum as long as he doesn't suspect anything."

" Hn. That seems awfully convenient for you to say to gain my trust. It's also very untypical for a Root member." He said, voice chilly. "Did Danzo grow soft with age? Is he losing control over his forces?"

" No, he isn't. I'm playing a dangerous game, I have for a while now, and I know what it can cost me, once he finds out." Sai wondered how the brother had known how to recognize a Root member and if he knew what the seal on his tongue meant. He seemed to know about Danzo and his organisation, and he didn't seem too fond of either.

" Why would you do it then?"

" Danzo does not value friends and family."

"And you do." The brother concluded correctly. " How come you work against your master? Danzo is a dangerous man to cross."

" I changed. My Team changed me..." The events that had lead up to that were public knowledge among the hidden villages, so Sai supposed it wouldn't hurt to share them: "Naruto befriended Gaara. He made it happen, even though Gaara went berserk first... And they helped me remember my own brother."

" So you're in Team Seven, together with Hatake Kakashi and the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails."

He knew that bit about Naruto too?

" Thank you. This has been enlightening and I'm glad to finally know where my brother is. It would however be best if you forgot we ever met."

Sai watched as the other's eyes bled red, and in a moment's notice, he was sucked in to the world of Tsukuyomi.

---

A/N: Finally finally done! 21 pages long, holding 12.428 words. I will have less time now to write(I have wedding clothes to sow and songs to transform into readable sheet music), I try hard to make it happen, but feedback to stimulate my thinking and motivation would really help. Thank all of those who did review. I really appreciate it.

Also, I went over the older chapters and revised them… some smaller details have been changed to fit better, but they're still pretty much the same, minus some errors..

Now, what you think of the current developments? where you may think I'm going with this…? Any favourite parts or aspects to point out?… Suggestions?… i work with concepts a lot and I'd love to take the story apart with you to discuss it…should anyone be willing.

any form of acknowledgement will be appreciated though:)

Oh, and if anyone is curious, there is some Fanart to this story on DeviantArt, under the username MalvaLunaLynx, should anyone want to see.

Take care!

Edit 22.12.18: Just worked through this, not much changed except that I changed some of the dialogue concerning Itachi since a friend of mine pointed out that there were some OOC tendencies... I hope it's a bit better now

Edit 10.11.19: Just looked over this whole monster chapter with Nackmu, did the last part in a five hour proof reading session. so much fun, and a big thanks for the great time and good work that Nackmu does when going through this with me :)