Hi everyone. Sorry, it's been a while since I updated. I tend to like to keep an updating schedule of roughly six weeks, but I recently starting undergoing medication treatment for my ADHD and unfortunately, the first two medications I tried threw a bit of a wrench in my writing...and everything else. Still hoping to find the right one to make my brain do what I need it to, so maybe the third time's the charm? Anyway, thank you very much for sticking with me this far. I'm hoping to get back on track with writing more, and I'm very excited to get into these next couple of chapters as we touch on the Land of Waves. Many thanks also to my friends/advisors/editors/creative gurus Ronnie and Storm, they're a vital part of the process of getting these chapters to you guys. I hope you enjoy it! :)
"Like that, a bundle of sunlight is pushing its way towards me now
Even though the two of us are still right thеre
I prayed, "Pleasе, let us meet again"
I must be out of my mind." - Aoi Shiori, Galileo Galilei
Sayuri stumbled as she pushed open her front door, her body aching from her exam. She wore an exhausted smile like a gold medal and practically collapsed in front of her mother's shrine in the entryway.
"I did it, Mom," she told the framed photograph breathlessly. "I was so excited; I ran the whole way here to tell you and Dad." For a moment, Sayuri genuinely believed in her elation that the picture would answer for a moment. That moment passed, and once her excitement died down, she sighed. Back in reality, she said sadly, "Well, mostly Dad."
"Sayuri, is that you?" Gorou's voice announced his appearance as he approached the doorway. "How did you do?" Sayuri gathered the last of her energy to launch herself from the floor and into her father's arms. His face lifted her spirits almost immediately upon sight.
"I passed!" she exclaimed, "I'm a ninja, Dad! I did it!" Gorou's arms curled around Sayuri and held her securely."I knew you could do it. I'm so proud of you." He planted a light kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sure you did splendidly. You have to tell me all about it."
"Everything happened so fast. I feel like I can barely remember it," she admitted. "I'm just relieved it's over, and we can start doing missions soon." Sayuri and Gorou separated to allow for the former to sit down and relax. "We start tomorrow! I don't know why I thought we wouldn't jump right into it, but I'm still sorta surprised that our first mission is so soon."
"Things move fast when you're a ninja, so tomorrow seems about right to me. You'll need to have a nutritious dinner to be ready for your first mission. Is anyone joining us tonight?" Gorou wandered over to the kitchen as he spoke. He poked his head into the refrigerator and rummaged around as he took inventory of their stock of groceries.
"Yeah. The rest of the team and Kakashi-sensei are coming by for dinner."
"Wonderful! I love having guests. Let's see what we have here." Gorou hummed to himself as he finished assessing their groceries. "If we go to the grocery store and pick up some more meat and vegetables, I think we'll have ourselves a lovely hot pot dinner tonight."
"We haven't had hot pot in forever. I think that's perfect. Naruto is dead-set on having ramen all day every day, so he might be willing to eat something similar."
"Is that so? Well, that sounds rather unhealthy. Perhaps I can sneak in some vegetables for him if I buy some ramen noodles to go with them. What's that old saying? A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right? It's probably worth a try."
Sayuri snorted, "Good luck with that one, Dad."
Sasuke approached the front door to the Fukuhara residence as the sun slowly slipped behind the trees. The sunset had painted the sky a warm orange, and the wind carried in a pleasant breeze that rustled a wind chime at the front of the house. Laughter echoed from inside.
The door swung open before Sasuke could even knock. He stepped backward as Hisoka Ito and Masashi Tabe exited the house, looking cheerful as ever.
"Oh, hey, Sasuke. Sayuri mentioned your team was meeting up for dinner tonight. Congrats on passing," Masashi said. His sepia-brown skin glowed under the golden light. He smiled warmly as he stepped out of the way of the entrance to make small talk.
Sasuke nodded. The faintest ghost of a smile was returned to Masashi.
"Did your team pass?"
"We sure did! And I think we did pretty good if I do say so myself," Hisoka chimed in, curly hair bouncing with his enthusiasm. "Misao-sensei said we had great promise as a flex team who can suit most missions."
Sasuke found himself immediately preferring Masashi's company more than Hisoka's. The latter was far too high-energy for him. He seemed like someone Naruto would get along with more than anything else. On the other hand, Masashi was quieter, more thoughtful, and socially savvy.
"Well, I'm starving, so I'm going to head home. Hisoka, tell the family I said hi. Good to see you, Sasuke." Masashi offered a casual wave to the two boys and entered the house next door. Hisoka gave him a nod that clearly displayed an effort to mimic Masashi's same non-committal, "cool guy" energy.
"You guys totally got this in the bag. Sucks about getting stuck with Naruto, but I'm sure you and Sayuri will figure it out," Hisoka said. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.
Sasuke shrugged. "He's not that bad. I'll see you around."
He didn't particularly like the disparaging comment that Hisoka made about Naruto, but actually mounting any sort of genuine defense of him was way more trouble than it was worth. Besides, his appetite was taking precedence over defending Naruto's reputation at the moment.
Sasuke turned away from Hisoka and entered through the door the boys had left open.
"I'm here," he announced solely out of politeness and devoid of any excitement he may have been feeling deep down. He looked around as he stepped up into their home. The house opened with a colorful and disorganized kitchen. There were plants scattered about, all in different stages of growth.
A tall man cloaked in a pale gray yukata stood at the center of the long kitchen counter. He was chopping up a bundle of vegetables on a cutting board, humming a song to himself in rhythm with the knife's slicing. He looked over to Sasuke once he had announced his presence and greeted him with a wide, warm smile.
"Hi, there! You must be Sasuke. I'm Sayuri's dad, Gorou. Very nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Sasuke said woodenly. He felt remarkably out of place here almost immediately. The house was obviously lived in with dust here and there, books messily laid out along their shelves, a mug of tea sitting forgotten on the kotatsu, the cat playing with a stray sock. This was all alien to the surviving Uchiha.
Sasuke removed his shoes and found his gaze falling on a shelf on the entryway wall. A small wooden torii, a framed picture, an intricate and beautiful dragonfly barrette, an incense stick and holder, and a palm-sized jade plant all sat cozily together on the shelf. He focused on the picture momentarily and nearly believed it to be Sayuri until he saw the ash-blonde hair that fell around her face and just barely touched her collarbones.
Sayuri's voice rang in Sasuke's head from their earlier exam immediately. She had said she lost a lot of her family a few years ago. Based on her resemblance to the woman in the picture, Sasuke deduced this was likely a shrine dedicated to her mother. Sasuke wordlessly paid his respects to her, his fingertips just lightly brushing his forehead as he bowed his head towards his hands pressed in prayer.
"Thank you for your respectful gesture," Gorou said, setting down the knife and moving the vegetables aside on the counter.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Was the most earnest thing Sasuke could say at the moment. "You're welcome" felt too self-congratulating, and "I understand" felt like it was pushing for a connection that Sasuke may or may not want from Gorou right now. He was too wary of seeking the bond, either way, so did it even matter? Besides, he meant what he told Gorou, and that was enough. He knew the immobilizing pain of grief, especially on a mass scale. It was isolating.
"As I am for your loss. The suffering of losing one's family is truly unspeakable. I'm sorry that you have to suffer through the same pain." Gorou returned the sentiment with a sincerity that made Sasuke's stomach drop. This was the first time someone said they understood his pain, and he believed it to some extent. It would be a comfort if Sasuke wasn't so cynical. He had already accepted the notion that this world ripped away most things you cared about in a second if you let your guard down. He only knew how to expect to lose the things he appreciated. Life had yet to teach him otherwise. The dread he felt sink through him at the idea that the same would happen here was proof enough of that.
Sasuke ran his teeth over his bottom lip, at a loss for what to say. Instead, he nodded solemnly and made his way from the entrance to the kitchen. He wasn't sure where he was going or what he was doing, but he couldn't just stand in the doorway ruminating on his cynicism. His eyes fell to the adjacent living room as he passed the empty kotatsu.
From what Sasuke could see of the house thus far, it was more long and narrow than wide. The Fukuhara family had just managed to keep the decor and furniture on the cozy side. One or two more plants and the room would easily skew into feeling suffocating and crowded.
"I thought I heard you come in." A familiar voice said.
Sayuri stood at the opening of the hallway located at the back of the living room. "Come on, we're still waiting for Naruto and Kakashi-sensei to get here, so we can just hang out for now." Perfect, a distraction. Sayuri was his unwitting savior from continuing to wrestle with his instincts and his newly-developing comfort with her and her father. She gestured for him to follow her as she turned around to head down the hall, and he did with a polite wave to Gorou in parting. His wave was returned in kind with a serene smile.
"Have fun, you two. Let me know if either of you gets extra hungry. I'm sure I can whip up a snack to hold you over until dinner," Gorou offered.
"Thanks, Dad; we'll let you know."
Sayuri guided Sasuke down the hall and up a staircase to the second floor. It was mainly one narrow hallway that reinforced his earlier sentiments of the house lacking in width. He followed her into her bedroom. He realized upon entering that her room was not too different from her as a person. It may have been a coincidence, but he did notice how the color scheme was soft, quiet, and unassuming. It had hints of the traditional-style house to it that he was accustomed to growing up in. The ceiling and walls were tan, and the occasional color came from her bedspread, furniture, and decorations.
She had a few paintings that were awash in lavenders, periwinkles, and light blues that made the room feel more alive. Her desk had a colorful pencil cup filled with frilly pens and pictures of her, Hisoka, and Masashi together. "Kinda boring, I know," Sayuri told him as she passed most of her room and made her way towards the balcony. There she settled into a white, fluffy bean bag chair, for which there was one for him to sit in beside her. He followed her and shrugged, stating,
"It's fine."
Sasuke sat down and made himself comfortable in the squishy chair. The balcony was shaped like a half-moon, and the seats' location on the outer edge enabled them to easily look out over the street below. Sayuri laid her arms on the railing and rested her chin against them. Sasuke looked over his shoulder to follow her gaze towards the apartments that seemed like only a stone's throw away from this height, even with the road separating them.
"There's a young family that lives across the street from us. They have a little girl; I think she's maybe four or five. Her mom takes her out for a walk down the road every morning, and the little girl waves at me. It's nice."
"Hmm," Sasuke responded if one could even call it that. He was not big on talking, but he was always good at listening. He just happened to find her a bit easier to listen to than most.
"Everyone else is...distant, I guess. I don't know. I don't think most of the other villagers like me and my dad all that much."
"Does it matter?" Sasuke asked.
"What do you mean?" Sayuri looked at him now, the setting sun shining an orangey glow on her hair.
"Does it matter if they like you? You live here. Why should they get a say in it or care about it?" he clarified. Sayuri looked puzzled, blinking at him and then looking back down at the street.
"...I don't know. I mean, it makes sense when you put it like that. I probably shouldn't care. Do you care what other people think of you?" It was her turn to ask questions now, it seemed. Sasuke leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"Not personally, no. Other people can think what they like about me, but the truth is that other people are usually pretty stupid. If they're gonna think about me at all, it should be about my skills as a ninja. I don't care about much more than that," Sasuke answered. "And you have your friends, anyway. There are obviously people that do like you. So if you're gonna worry about anything, then worry about that."
Sayuri's face scrunched up in a way that Sasuke was not expecting. Her brow furrowed, and she blew out a sigh that lifted a stray hair on her head up in the air before falling back down in her face. He lifted an eyebrow at her. She sat up straighter and laid her hands on her thighs, frustration emanating from her posture.
"But that's part of the problem. I mean, my friends like me. It's just that Hinata's family doesn't. She said before that they're protective, and I guess I thought she was maybe exaggerating a bit, but she's not. They don't want her to be friends with me and keep pressuring her to stop being around me. We mainly saw each other through the Academy, and we could be friends secretly that way. But now that we've all graduated and become genin, I don't know when I can see her. Every time she wants to come by and spend time with me, they say no. They already give her a hard time as it is. I don't wanna make it worse by making her go against them," Sayuri said.
Sasuke was not expecting her to confide in him like this. He expected her to be a bit more tight-lipped due to their question game from earlier, but he also asked her a very personal question, so that likely had more to do with her reluctance to answer than anything else. He didn't know what led her to believe that he would have an answer for her or know what to say, but here they were. The best and only thing he could do was answer candidly.
"That's stupid. Have they told her why they don't want you two to be friends?" He already knew the answer didn't matter. Sayuri was a skilled kunoichi. Sasuke couldn't say he paid her that much attention up until they were on a team together, but he knew she was one of the best in their class. She didn't act out or behave foolishly. What could she have possibly done to upset the Hyuuga clan?
"We're from the 'Bloody Mist.' We're dangerous, and we can't be trusted."
Sayuri's answer and how defeated she sounded when she said it made Sasuke's heart lurch. He knew enough about social situations to know that now was the time to reassure her that everything would be fine. He couldn't fully say he didn't want to. More than anything, he just didn't know how. He wasn't good with feelings. He was much more used to the anger and grief that kept him running on a day-to-day basis, the fuel that kept him pushing to be stronger minute-to-minute. Emotional intimacy was well out of his wheelhouse, and even worse was the fact that she kept prying sympathy out of him that he did not give her permission to take in the first place.
Sasuke did not like the concern that he felt for her at this moment. It felt far too risky, like closeness to him almost guaranteed suffering for all parties involved. And in all honesty, he had had his fill of grief for more than one lifetime. Sasuke knew he was strong, likely the strongest person he knew. But as far as he was concerned, the world would sense his tentative tenderness towards the remainder of the Fukuhara clan and innately know to ruin them somehow, some way. He wasn't strong enough to carry more pain and guilt. One massacred family was enough.
He realized now that it had been a couple seconds since Sayuri had answered his question, and he was too busy stewing in his own mind to even reply. Jumping back into the conversation, he said,
"So, they're idiots, is what you're telling me." It wasn't helpful. Sasuke knew it wasn't helpful and likely wouldn't reassure her at all, but what else was he supposed to say? It was just the truth.
Much to his surprise, Sayuri started laughing. He looked towards her, his eyes wide. She rubbed her eyes as her chest trembled with laughter. He didn't think he said anything funny. Was it really that funny to just call someone an idiot? "What's so funny?"
"You! Just the way you said it made me start laughing; I can't help it. I guess I know to expect total honesty from you from now on," Sayuri said as she just managed to catch her breath.
"What else would you expect?" Sasuke asked, a tiny bit of amusement sneaking into his tone.
"I don't know. I don't really know what to expect from you."
Sasuke supposed he couldn't blame her for feeling that way. He wasn't an open book like Naruto was. The most people expected from him was to be silent, maybe a bit brooding, and goal-oriented. He didn't give people much else, certainly not enough to assume that he could crack a joke here and there, accidentally or otherwise, or have the patience to help his new teammate through her panic attack, even at an arms-length distance. Maybe Sasuke was beginning to not know what to expect from himself either.
"Listen," Sasuke began, not meeting her eyes, "earlier today, when I told Naruto that my decision not to help you wasn't personal, I meant it. It was about needing to pass more than anything else. That man that I have to kill is getting stronger and stronger every minute. And I can't waste time by failing and having to start all over again. He's only going to do worse things the longer he lives, and only I can defeat him."
Sayuri slowly nodded as he explained his actions from their exam. She didn't say anything at first, likely digesting everything and trying to formulate an appropriate response. Far be it from him to know what that would be.
"Do you think you would make the same choice again?" She finally asked. Sasuke shook his head without hesitation.
"No."
"Then there's nothing to worry about. The most important thing is that we can trust each other and that we can function as a team, right?"
Sasuke nodded at her.
"So, that's just what we focus on from here. I don't like holding grudges, and we all make mistakes."
Though she was fairly pleasant to be around thus far, Sayuri seemed to have a worldview that made no sense to Sasuke. He was sure that if he was in her position, he'd certainly hold some sort of irritation with the other person still. Maybe not a grudge per se, but he definitely wouldn't just let them off the hook like that. Of course, he still didn't really think he did anything wrong in the first place, so Sasuke was probably a bit hypocritical in this hypothetical, but he wasn't going to pay that any mind right now.
The words "You're weird" were sitting impatiently on his tongue, and had Naruto's booming voice not exploded through the house upon his entry, probably would have been let loose.
"Hey, I'm here! Where is everybody? Oh, hi, Fukuhara-san! What's happenin', ol' man?" Of course, Naruto would be so loud that both genin could easily hear him on the second floor. Sasuke rolled his eyes as Sayuri chuckled at Naruto's impressively loud enthusiasm.
"We should head downstairs before he tears the house apart looking for us," Sayuri said. The laughter had not quite faded from her tone as she spoke and got to her feet. "Thanks for listening."
Sasuke followed suit quietly, digging his hands into his pockets. Naruto's ruckus didn't cease for the whole time it took them to meet him in the kitchen and only seemed to intensify as they began to chat.
"There you guys are! You hungry? I'm starved!" Naruto settled down at the kotatsu. "I'm lucky all those veggies your pops was choppin' up didn't ruin my appetite."
"It wouldn't kill you to eat some vegetables, Naruto." Sayuri carried platters of assorted meats and vegetables to the kotatsu as Gorou added some finishing touches to the broth.
"Good evening, kiddos. Apologies if I'm late."
Kakashi shut the front door behind him, the imprint of a casual smile spreading underneath his mask. He paused to pay his respects at Sayuri's mother's shrine and then began to remove his shoes. Naruto leaned forward from his seat to see his sensei better, and his brow furrowed. Suddenly, he leaped to his feet, muttering,
"Oh man, I can't believe I didn't see that before!"
Naruto awkwardly scrambled to the shrine, shimmying around Kakashi to quickly pay his respects. He whispered a sincere apology to the deceased Fukuhara for not noticing her shrine when he first walked in. Sayuri smiled, mirroring Gorou's expression as they finished setting the table.
Kakashi patted Naruto's shoulder lightly, saying,
"I'm sure Fukuhara-san understands that it was an honest mistake." He gently ushered Naruto back towards his seat for a moment before turning towards Gorou. He held out a wine bottle for the older man's inspection. "Senpai, is there any place you would like me to put this?" Gorou's eyes lit up, and he smiled at Kakashi as he gently took the bottle from him.
"How thoughtful of you! Thank you, I love plum wine. Would you like to have a glass with me?" Gorou and Kakashi gravitated towards the kitchen, where they chatted amicably as Gorou uncorked the bottle.
"Sorry 'bout your mom, Sayuri," Naruto said. "I don't got a mom either, so I know how much it totally sucks to not have one around." Sayuri nodded at him solemnly and smiled a tad sadly. The intimacy they exchanged felt like it would expand to Sasuke and swallow him whole. He closed himself off from the conversation as soon as he felt his heart twinge in his chest. He brought his arms to rest on the table and interlaced his fingers. His hands laid against his chin as he tried desperately to wrench his mind away from this moment and on to any other topic.
Sasuke looked over to Gorou and Kakashi, who each had their own glass of wine. Gorou had said something to Sayuri that Sasuke couldn't bring himself to pay attention to, but her reaction led him to believe it was a teasing manner. She playfully tossed a piece of uncooked potato at her father that he tossed back. Everyone else in the room laughed. Sasuke felt numb to their joy, as if he was an outsider looking in on this dinner instead of a participant in it.
Sayuri looked over towards him occasionally, probably trying to make him feel welcome or included or whatever. Why was she like that? Why was Gorou like that, too? Was this normal? Was this how other families acted all the time?
When Sasuke's family was alive, their house felt completely devoid of the open, messy, imperfect care and affection he could feel radiating from Sayuri and her father. Back then, Fugaku was running the entire Uchiha clan. When he wasn't busy with that, his main priority was Itachi's training. Mikoto ran the household, so Sasuke spent most of his time outside of the Academy with her. Her love was noticeable, but it still held an underlying strictness and firmness to it. Gorou reminded Sasuke of her without any prim and proper attachments from their status in the now-extinct clan. It was foreign and refreshing in a way that Sasuke didn't want to admit.
By the time Sasuke's attention returned to the table, the pot of simmering broth was sitting cozily on the kotatsu, and everyone was digging in. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it was enough for most of the table to have emptied their own personal bowls of the meal and go for seconds. Too long, in other words. Sasuke's autopilot mode kicked in in the nick of time for him to avoid yet another concerned look from Sayuri as he finally selected a slice of raw beef to swish around in the pot.
Why does she have to pay so much damn attention to me? Sasuke grumbled internally.
"Hey, hey, Sayuri. What was that water magic stuff you did during our exam? I wanted to ask, but I got carried away with the test and all," Naruto said in-between mouthfuls of ramen noodles. Sayuri and Gorou exchanged a glance with one another briefly, and before Sayuri could answer, Naruto asked, "Whatever it is, can you teach me how to do it? That'd be majorly cool!"
"I'm afraid that's something not even Gorou-senpai could do, Naruto. Sayuri's ability to manipulate water is a kekkei genkai—a bloodline ability. It's something only the descendants of her clan can do," Kakashi said. He picked out the mushroom slice he swirled in the boiling broth and placed it in his mixed bowl.
"A bloodline ability? Man, that stinks. How come you guys ended up with the cool stuff?" Naruto whined.
"Well, there's actually a legend as to how we ended up with the "cool stuff" if you'd like to hear it," Gorou said. "I haven't told this story in quite a long time, not since Sayuri was little."
"A legend? I dunno, ol' man. Every time someone's got some folk tale they wanna tell me or whatever, it just ends up boring," Naruto complained as he wound a new clump of ramen noodles around his chopsticks.
"Naruto," Kakashi scolded, "you know you don't have to say the first thought that pops into your head, right?" Gorou chuckled and waved off Naruto's comment airily.
"It's quite alright, Kakashi-kun. He has a point; old geezers like me can ramble from time to time. I'll do my best to keep it interesting, alright?"
"Oh, come on, Dad. You don't need to be so humble. He's a really good storyteller; I promise you won't get bored, Naruto," Sayuri said.
Sasuke was mildly interested in whatever this legend was, but he decided to keep that to himself. He instead focused on maintaining a frequent stream of vegetables traveling from the savory soup to his belly.
"Many generations ago, the first Fukuhara was born in the Land of Water—before it was called the Land of Water, of course. His name was Ichirou Fukuhara, and he did everything he could to help him and his family survive the Warring States Period. He was a very nimble shinobi. Ichirou lived to tell the tale of several battles and always credited his dexterity to observing how the river flowed.
"One day, as Ichirou was training by the river, he was confronted by a kappa. The nasty thing was one of many other young kappas that lived in the river, and it was likely trying to trick him into going for a swim with it. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what could happen if he did. Ichirou thankfully was crafty enough to know that the way to escape a kappa was to empty the crater in its head of water. So, Ichirou said he would agree to join it in the river if it bested him in a challenge.
The kappa accepted his challenge, and when they bowed to one another to show respect before the contest, the water resting in the cavity on its head completely emptied. The kappa became little more than a statue and was unable to move from his bowing position. Ichirou took water from the river in his hands and poured it along the dish again. There was just enough water for the kappa to move a little, but the water wouldn't stay since he was bent over.
So, Ichirou went back and forth over and over again until the dish was completely filled. Once he did, the kappa swore to serve Ichirou for the rest of his days as repayment for restoring his mobility, even despite how painstaking it was to do.
Ichirou was not the type of man to want a servant. So instead, he asked the kappa to be his friend. He gave it the name Ichibei, and he was known for being the first man in the Land of Water to tame and befriend a kappa.
Many years later, Ichirou had a family of his own, and Ichibei was an honorary member. There was no event or special occasion that Ichibei was not a part of. The Fukuharas even built their home next to the river Ichibei resided in. Their life was calm and happy for a long time.
Unfortunately, their serenity eventually came to an end. One day, a different kappa had drowned a young girl in the same river our ancestors lived next to. Her father, mad with grief, confronted Ichirou, assuming that Ichibei had been the one to do it. However, Ichibei hadn't done it, and Ichirou was adamant about that fact. The two men argued so loud that even Ichibei, who had been relaxing in the river, had to come to the surface to see what was going on.
When the grieving father saw Ichibei, he flew into a rage. He drew his sword and charged ahead to slay the kappa. Ichirou, having the advantage of his speed and agility, was able to intercept the blow. Alas, he was unable to parry it. He threw himself in front of the father's sword. He ensured that Ichibei and his kappa descendants could live on that day.
In return for that sacrifice, Ichibei gifted the next generation of the Fukuhara descendants, my great-grandfather and his siblings, with the ability to manipulate water as a means to protect themselves. It was his final act as a yōkai, and it took the very last of his chakra to complete. Thus, Ichirou's sacrifice was the origin point of not just our water manipulation abilities, but our bond with the kappa as a whole."
Sayuri was right; Gorou was quite the storyteller. He had managed to enthrall everyone around him with his expressive tone and voice as he recalled the details. Sasuke even found himself leaning in further as his attention was drawn to the tale. Naruto's eyes gleamed with awe.
"That's an incredible story, Senpai. Did Ichirou know his sacrifice would result in the gifts from Ichibei?" Kakashi asked.
"No, not at all. I think that would make it less of a sacrifice. And I believe that Ichibei was so generous with his own gifts because he never expected to be loved so much. Love, sacrifice, and family are our clan's principal values."
"That's so cool!" Naruto chirped, "I gotta find me a yōkai so I can protect it with my life, and then I'll get really powerful, too! And then, once I'm powerful, I'll have the village's respect. Say, ol' man Fukuhara, d'ya think you can help me find a yōkai I can be friends with?"
Kakashi sighed exasperatedly at his student's outburst. Sasuke rolled his eyes openly at Naruto.
"Did you even pay attention to the story, blockhead? Ichirou didn't seek power; it found him. He didn't know his descendants would get their kekkei genkai when he gave up his life. That was the whole point."
Naruto scowled at Sasuke and snapped,
"Oh, right, Sasuke here—the smartest guy in the room— knows the story the best, I forgot. Sasuke, since you're the smartest guy ever who understands everything, why don't you tell me how to get powerful like the Fukuharas? Huh? You know everything, so you gotta have the answer, right?"
"Well, being less of an idiot is probably a good place to start," Sasuke answered with a cutting earnestness that made Sayuri lower her forehead into her palm wearily.
"Hey!" Naruto jumped out of his seat.
"Boys, please," Gorou said, lifting his hands to try and settle their quarreling, "there's no need to fight. I'm sure you will get plenty strong, regardless of bloodline or gifts from other beings. Just having Kakashi-kun here as your sensei is a huge advantage. You'll see in time."
"But I don't wanna see "in time"—I wanna get strong now! I'm gonna be the greatest Hokage the village has ever seen, and I've got a lot of competition I gotta beat!" Naruto said.
"And the Hokages all had to put in time and effort to reach their own greatness. It's just how it is. You need to be patient, Naruto." Kakashi idly swirled the wine in his glass, which along with his dinner, somehow kept disappearing despite Sasuke not once witnessing him remove his mask.
Naruto sat with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his lips pursed. Sasuke may have given him the benefit of the doubt too early when he spoke to Hisoka earlier in the evening. If he was going to throw a temper tantrum like this every time he needed to be patient, Sasuke would lose his mind at best or kill him at worst.
What a nightmare.
A few minutes passed while an awkward silence blanketed the table. Gorou and Kakashi seemed to be communicating entirely through shared facial expressions. Or at least what Sasuke could interpret from only being able to see one of Kakashi's eyes.
"You'll get there," Sayuri suddenly said confidently. "Sensei's right; you just have to put the work in first."
Naruto faltered for a moment. His arms fell away from his chest, and his indignation melted away. He seemed genuinely surprised at Sayuri's affirmation. Sasuke couldn't say he wasn't surprised as well, but to be fair, it was Sayuri. She was overly nice, in his opinion, and was probably just placating Naruto.
"Uh, y-yeah, duh, obviously! Of course, I'll get there. It'll be a pain in the ass to wait and all, but I'll probably get there faster 'cause I'm so awesome, you know?" If Naruto believed that response would convince anyone, he was severely misguided. Sayuri nodded at him with the same air of confidence in him, as if she actually thought he wasn't just spouting some self-soothing nonsense. She's so weird...Sasuke thought to himself.
The table's conversation topic moved about fairly fluidly and easily. Kakashi was notably adept at navigating conversations that requested details about himself or his life to their early demise. Sayuri was usually the one starting those conversations, and after about the third or fourth deflection from her sensei, she seemed to concede her efforts to get to know him better. Sasuke mostly abstained from joining unless he was brought into the conversation by someone else or if the subject revolved around shinobi tactics or jutsus. It went without saying that Naruto was the constant chatterbox, and Gorou just seemed to be content to listen and observe.
After a while, Sasuke set his chopsticks down and gracefully rose from his seat cushion.
"Thank you for the meal, Fukuhara-san. I need to head home soon, so I'll be leaving once the meal is cleaned up," he said. Kakashi looked from Sasuke to the nearest clock and noted,
"Oh my, it is a bit later than I thought. Good idea, Sasuke. Let's all clean up and get a good night's rest before our first mission tomorrow."
Sasuke gathered the empty plates of hot pot stir-ins and brought them to the kitchen sink. Naruto hastily scooped up the individual meal bowls and followed his lead. Gorou and Kakashi guided the burner and pot towards the kitchen counter while Sayuri wiped down the kotatsu with a rag.
They cleaned quietly and peacefully, and it was quite the stark contrast to their chatty, energetic meal earlier that Sasuke had felt far removed from. He preferred the sound of the faucet's running water and the scraping of a sponge against a ceramic bowl to the humming prattle of people sharing a meal. The hush that fell about the room was the exact guilt-free solace he needed. It was almost like being at his childhood home one more time.
"Good night, Fukuhara-san. Good night, Sayuri." The words fell softly from Sasuke's lips as he hooked his shoes onto his feet. The entryway felt very crowded with Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke all occupying the space at once.
"Goodnight," Sayuri and Gorou said in unison. Sasuke slipped out the door as Naruto and Kakashi were still saying their goodbyes. The streetlamps and the soft lights from the other houses along the avenue illuminated the street cozily. The sun had fully set, and the evening breeze had become a bit cooler in the time Sasuke had spent in the Fukuhara home. It was almost jolting, and in a way, he was glad for it.
The warm and cheerful Fukuhara home grew more and more distant as Sasuke silently made his way back to his house a few roads away. Finally, he unlocked his door and quietly took off his shoes. There was no need to announce he was home; who would welcome him? The apartment was as empty as it was lifeless. It was furnished entirely for utility. Whether or not he liked it, this was where he belonged. This was what made sense to him.
Sasuke felt like he'd just woken up. He'd left the dreamlike Fukuhara home in a silent stupor and was returned to the reality of his life. Cold, quiet, and alone.