"Father… why did we really come to the land of Hot Water? Is it because of my eyes?"

"So sharp, Koichi-kun! How you impress me. Well, let me tell you a story… the story of our clan."

Class began as usual.

Until it didn't.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?"

He was so polite, for a moment it didn't compute that Sasuke had just said that.

Naruto grinned and pulled out the chair next to him in response, the chair that since the first day had been empty.

Until it wasn't.

"Yea, you're my best friend now 'ttebayo! Of course you can."

Sasuke huffed and rolled his eyes ever so slightly before taking the proffered seat. Shikamaru and Chouji, who normally sat in the row in front of ours, looked surprised to find Sasuke had ditched them. Not that he had moved far, mind. Still, they took their usual places in front of us.

"Ok everyone, quiet down! Today we will be looking at measuring chakra in chakra units…"

Iruka's lecture was quickly tuned out so I could focus my attention on Sasuke, who was gesturing to a note he had written.

'My mother has invited you over to dinner, can you make it on Saturday?'

My brow creased slightly in a frown.

So, it would seem Mikoto actually was going through with her offer, and had capitalised on the opportunity Sasuke presented by becoming our friends. The question was, was she behind why Sasuke had decided to become friends with us?

Still, this could be good for me as well to have connections with the Uchiha so I could begin planning to stop the massacre.

Naruto bounced excitedly in his seat, nodding vigorously to Sasuke. Well, Saturday we were meant to be doing the rounds for the Gang, but it shouldn't cause too much of a problem.

I grinned and gave Sasuke a thumbs-up.

Time to start becoming the hero, and save the Uchiha clan! I could just imagine it, I would come up with a plan so good I would be famous and people from all around the world would know me as Sasayaki-sama, saviour of clans, bringer of justice, master of-!

An elbow jabbed into my side, cutting off my internal mad laughter.

"Is there something you find funny, Sasayaki-kun?" Iruka demanded, vein throbbing in his temple. I blinked and glanced around to realise that the whole class was staring at me with wide eyes, silent.

Maybe my mad laughter wasn't so internal, after all.

I smiled.

"Nothing Sensei, nothing at all haha! Just, uh, Sakura's pink hair! Yea!"

Sakura blushed furiously and sank down into her seat. I kind of felt bad for her, but I needed some kind of reason to have laughed and her hair was clearly the easiest target.

There was silence for a moment, before the class erupted into whispers and laughter.

"SILENCE!" Iruka roared. "Sasayaki-kun, if you say something so mean again, you'll get detention! Now everyone, please turn to chapter six…"

I breathed out with relief. Crisis diverted.

"That was mean, what you said about Sakura today," Naruto muttered, squinting at me as we walked home – namely to our new apartment.

I shrugged, but that didn't seem to be enough to appease him. He leaned towards me, squinting even more if that was possible.

"I'll cook you dinner tonight?" I offered to pay for my 'sin'.

Naruto brightened immediately.

"You can cook? Really? Why did you never tell me?"

I grinned slyly.

"Cooking is easy, little bro! Anyone can do it!"

-Four Hours Later-

A plume of smoke erupted from the oven. I whistled happily as I removed the black charcoal from the oven, my eyes watering from the smoke. I resisted the urge to cough as I chopped the chicken up. I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant to look like that, but it's not like I had ever cooked before so how would I know?

"Look Naruto, doesn't it look delicious?"

Naruto's face paled as he appeared at the kitchen doorway.

"Isn't it… kind of… burnt?"

"Huh?" I frowned at him and looked back at the chicken. "So? It'll still taste nice, right?"

Naruto gagged. "Have you never had burnt food before? It tastes like ash!"

No, actually I hadn't. Lady was always a good cook, no matter what odd things we brought to her.

I glared at him.

"Don't you appreciate my cooking? I'm a chef now!"

I shoved a plate of charcoal under his nose.

He grabbed it with a disgusted look on his face. I continued to glare at him until he caved, and raised a piece to his mouth.

…

Well, let's just say I'm glad he was the one to try it first.

"Fugaku-san," I smiled politely and bowed, dragging Naruto down with me. Then I addressed Mikoto and Itachi in an equally formal manner.

Fugaku nodded to us, while Mikoto smiled and showed us in.

Dinner turned out to be a rather… intimidating affair, what with Fugaku eying us frostily whenever Naruto spoke too much or too loudly, or when we didn't eat in the 'proper Uchiha fashion'.

Sasuke, though, was over the moon that he was allowed to invite his first ever friends over to his house, and it showed in his sloppily hidden half-smiles.

He had run us through with his clan's etiquette, but not all of it had stuck, hence Fugaku's annoyance.

Itachi and Mikoto were also seated around the table, Mikoto made polite conversation with us, asking how we were faring at the academy and we told her we were passing.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes dispassionately when we admitted to only 'passing'. Pfft, if only they knew. We didn't even listen in class anyway, we should get an award or something for even being able to pass!

Itachi was mostly silent, until that very moment.

"I may be able to help teach you a few techniques," he said quietly, tonelessly. It took me a moment to process what he had just offered.

"You and Shisui should show us how to do that 'body flicker' technique!" Sasuke exclaimed excitedly.

"Itachi does not have time for such menial activities," Fugaku cut in.

"I believe I will be able to find some spare time, after all is it not important for Sasuke and his friends to prepare for their future?" Itachi responded rhetorically.

Fugaku looked like he was going to reply until Mikoto sent him a look and he closed his mouth and visibly reigned in his anger.

Interesting…

I decided I didn't like Fugaku much. I guess that's why I 'accidentally' tripped over my own feet and splashed hot tea all over Fugaku's traditional attire when pretending to go pour some cold water in it to cool it.

Fugaku was furious, and it was hard not to laugh.

Oops, aren't I meant to be making them like me so I can manipulate them in the future?

…Eh, this is more fun.

I kept my face apologetic, but Naruto hadn't mastered his manners yet.

He giggled, but luckily Itachi was there to save the day.

"I think it is time you two went home, it is getting late after all."

Fugaku scoffed and stormed off in a refined Uchiha manner, and so we were escorted out by Mikoto, who smiled at us and offered for us to come back anytime to play with Sasuke.

I had a feeling Fugaku wouldn't be too happy about that.

I was proven correct, for the next day we went back. And the day after, and many days in the coming weeks. In fact, whenever we went back to his house he mysteriously disappeared to some 'clan business', and considering how often we ended up going around, it was hard to no not notice. Sasuke wasn't entirely comfortable in the red-light district or with the Gang, and wouldn't join in on our thieving, so hence we ended up at his house more often than not as he quickly integrated himself with our activities.

I could tell he was disappointed whenever we were reminded that Fugaku wouldn't accept us, though it was hard to imagine why he craved acknowledgment from such an asshole.

But then again, it was his father.

The Uchiha clan had everything we could possibly need, all in close proximity too so Naruto and I were more than happy to go over. A library, blank scrolls and ink, a training grounds and Sasuke's spacious room - it's all we could have ever needed.

Not to mention the free food, which was a nice change from having to steal, as our orphan's fund barely covered stationary and clothes, let alone our pranking resources.

Fortunately, the Gang sometimes left us snacks and leftovers when they dropped by at our new apartment, and in return we took to teaching Takeshi and Akemi how to read.

"Itachi said he will train with me tomorrow and he said I can invite you two as well," Sasuke said to us one day not long after our meeting with the Uchihas, biting into a tomato as he watched us paint on the Hokage Mountain. It was dark out, the stars twinkling above us. Mikoto was probably getting worried about Sasuke.

No way am I going to turn down the opportunity to learn from the world's greatest ninja!

"Cool! E're definitely going," Naruto exclaimed, putting the finishing touches on the nosebleed he had given Hiruzen. I nodded in agreement, painting Tobirama's left eye red.

"Hey Sasuke, why don't you help us?" I asked absently. "Paint something!"

Sasuke looked at me condescendingly.

"As if I would do such a stupid thing," he muttered, crossing his arms haughtily. "Only losers do pranks like this."

"Hey! We're not losers, Sasuke-teme! We're awesome!"

"Yea don't be a pussy," I smirked. "I think he's just scared of getting found out, don't you Naru?"

"Yea!" Naruto crowed, and Sasuke blushed furiously.

"I- that's not-!"

"I guess the village will never know the might of the Uchiha clan," I said with a dramatic sigh. "Just imagine painting the Uchiha clan symbol on this monument… for everyone to see and admire… But you're just too scared aren't-"

In a flash, the red paint and paintbrush disappeared from my hands, and I looked up to see Sasuke painting the outline of the top half of the Uchiha fan across Hashirama's forehead.

I grinned victoriously.

Converting Sasuke to the dark side, complete!

Check out DeviantArt! More Sasa art.

Question:

Are you finding it difficult to remember who the Gang members are, and do you want them included more?