Disclaimer: still don't own Naruto
Chapter 4
Sasuke smirked as Naruto gasped and writhed under him, his fingers dancing across tanned skin as Naruto tried to hold back his laughter. He was glad Naruto was still so ticklish despite the changes. He heard and sensed Sakura arrive, heard her giggling at them, and finally let Naruto up. He knew Naruto had let him pin him, could feel the strength in his muscles even as he held back. He'd always packed a punch but now his strength was backed by inhuman power. He'd been working on his own strength training but he knew he'd never match his teammates; he had always been the fast one on the team.
"Having fun without me?" Sakura pouted, hands on her hips, and they didn't even need a glance at each other to be up and moving together, tackling her to the forest ground even as she laughed and tried to fight them off, Sasuke softening her landing. He wouldn't dare when they were older but Sakura had a lot of work to get back to that level, so for now, they were overprotective.
The three of them rolled around, shadow clones keeping a look out to ensure they weren't found by animals or wandering shinobi. After all, Anko at least used the place to train and they couldn't risk being seen. Too many questions would be asked and they had to keep those like Danzō in the dark. They couldn't go after that monster until their bodies could follow the commands their brains gave in combat. After a month they'd improved, but not enough to go after someone like him.
Sakura could run up and down trees easily, even sit and meditate upside down on the bottom of branches. He and Naruto kept falling or blasting off but they were getting higher. She'd begun using the river to practice water walking, they were weeks off that since they didn't focus solely on that one skill. Naruto could already use Kage Bunshin, they couldn't since he didn't have the control of his reserves and Sakura lacked the reserves at this age full stop. The Sage's chakra had also messed what control he'd had the first time at this age up. He did wonder if he still had the Rinnegan, but so far only the Sharingan had activated. With Naruto no longer having the Sage's chakra, they had to stop the war before Kaguya was brought into play since it had needed both of them to seal her. Or was Naruto being the reincarnation of Asura enough for that?
A lot of their more powerful abilities were useless too, they either lacked the power or control or both for them but more than that, they were often learned from others and would raise questions they couldn't answer. Chidori and the ways Sasuke could manipulate it, Naruto's Rasengan and the various types, Sakura's strength might be explainable since she'd done it to an extent instinctively before meeting Tsunade but certain moves utilising it, healing, and her seal had to be hidden. He knew she still had it; she just didn't have the stored chakra for it to be visible but if he could feel it then Naruto could too…and any of the sannin would probably recognise it too.
Things had changed in the last month, the three of them now sat together in class, Sasuke against the wall to keep others away and Naruto in the middle so that they could protect him from everyone. Iruka-sensei was actually encouraging their group forming and looking back…the man had tried so hard to help him and he'd rebuffed every effort, especially once Naruto had started becoming close to the sensei. It gave him hope that they'd be kept together as Team 7 even with Naruto's improving grades. Plus, there was Kakashi's link to Naruto and his being the only one who could teach Sasuke to use the Sharingan. Which meant the two of them at least should be destined for Kakashi's team so long as they didn't screw anything up too badly.
It was nice having the protection from the fangirls, they didn't like being near Naruto and Sakura had been one of the worst. Sasuke had started bringing in healthy lunches for the two of them and Sakura would also bring extra food to share, though her parents believed it was for Sasuke alone as she'd told them of his obsession with tomatoes to explain it. It meant the three of them were eating a lot better than they had at this point the first time and it was already showing results. Naruto had actually grown some, his jumpsuit pulling at wrists and ankles. Sakura was putting on weight and losing the diet thin look, something her mother wasn't too happy with so Sasuke had made sure he was near the woman while commenting on how utterly idiotic some of the girls nearby were for dieting. Even Sasuke was feeling stronger than he remembered, tomatoes were good for you but no food was good in excess. It would be even better once they were all under the one roof and could learn to cook more. Naruto knew some but he'd spent too long on the road with Jiraiya, at war, or struggling to make ends meet as a child to know much. Sasuke knew more since he hadn't had the issue of lack of resources as a child, he'd even spent time helping his Mother in the kitchen. But Sakura was the best cook out of the three of them thanks to her parents.
They'd begun making plans for when they were able to deal with Danzō and were torn over straight out assassinating the monster or revealing the truth in a way that would force Sarutobi to act. A part of his mind screamed to deal with him personally but he'd learnt since returning to Team 7 to not give that part of himself control. Besides, he'd killed the man once. Naruto deserved a crack at him if he wanted it for what he'd done to his people and their village. Honestly, Sasuke still wasn't sure they should stay in Konoha with all the rot hidden by the shiny façade, but he didn't trust himself to make that decision.
And then he yelped as Sakura and Naruto flipped and pinned him, wriggling as they sought out his few ticklish spots.
"Teach you to get lost in your head," Sakura smirked at him.
They all had trouble with that, and they were all getting good at noticing when it happened and snapping that person out of it. It wasn't surprising considering everything they'd been through, they were just lucky no one else had noticed…yet.
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Sakura shut her bedroom door and leant against it, exhausted and frustrated, fighting tears. They were talking about pulling her from the Academy, despite the interest Sasuke had been careful to slowly show towards her. What had changed that they weren't so keen on her marrying him one day? Was it…was it really her taking being a shinobi so much more seriously? She was stuck under their roof until she either graduated or turned sixteen. They couldn't afford for that to happen. She'd…she'd have to talk to Naruto and Sasuke about it, but what could they do? Still, no secrets, they'd sworn that years ago.
She took a breath and went to her desk to do her homework.
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Naruto and Sakura pressed against Sasuke, seeing his eyes go blank in rage, Sharingan flickering. Naruto took his hand and then kissed him softly to bring him out of it. He understood his anger, Sakura's parents were threatening to separate her from them. He'd always been better at shoving down negative emotions, he'd had to be with the way the villagers had treated him, but it had gotten harder since he changed. Sasuke took a shaking breath and then pulled Sakura into his arms, holding on tightly.
"It's okay Sasuke, we'll figure it out," she was whispering.
Naruto pressed even closer, wrapping his arm around Sasuke's back, between the two of them they had him boxed in and it'd take him effort to get free of them to go after the Haruno's, something he couldn't if he didn't want to risk arrest for assault or worse. He didn't blame Sasuke for being angry, here Sakura was trying to be a better shinobi and for that her parents were threatening to pull her from the Academy.
He didn't know a lot about the rules around the Academy, he knew once graduated there was no resigning until you'd served ten years in the forces. The Sandaime had been the one to enrol him so his circumstances had been different. If the genin failed their Sensei's test then they could return to the Academy or quit but if they passed then they were genin and that was that. Was there some way to keep her at the Academy even against their wishes? She was one of the top students after all… he hadn't seen Jiji since his birthday, would he be willing to intervene?
"Maybe we should talk to Iruka-sensei? He would know if there's any way around it," he offered. Last time, Sasuke would never have considered it, he hadn't really seemed to like Iruka, but now he nodded. Better to start with their teacher than go straight to the Hokage.
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Sasuke dug through his Father's office, looking for the official clan paperwork. He had more trust in Iruka than he had the first time, but while the man was trusted to work in the missions office and the Hokage often used him for various things, he was still a clanless chūnin. It hadn't been done when he was little but he'd heard the old stories, of clans taking in and fostering promising children…if the laws were old enough to be part of Konoha's charter… it had to be him, Naruto wasn't meant to know of his own heritage after all. Another reason to despise those in power in the Village. They dared to treat the son of their precious Fourth and the last Uzumaki 'Princess' like they did.
It didn't hurt so much to go through the records as it had the first times he had attempted it; it had simply been far too long and there'd been so many losses since. He was glad he'd reinforced the protective seals on the house since it kept his guard from tracking where in the house he was from the outside. His presence in the office would worry them considering he'd collapsed the first time he'd attempted to sort it only a year ago by their thinking. Finally, buried under so much unimportant work, sealed with blood, were the documents he was looking for.
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Iruka watched the three as they sat together, for once it was Sakura sitting protected in the middle with Sasuke acting as a barrier. It had been long enough that most of the girls didn't bother approaching him which was wonderful since it meant less disruptions and also that they were focusing more on their studies.
He'd been shocked when the trio approached him about the threat Sakura's parents had made. She had always been the best student when it came to theory but for the last two months, ever since Sasuke had begun tolerating their presence, she had improved her other grades. He had been happy to learn she had stopped dieting and was working on physical conditioning. Sadly, there was nothing he could do, they were within their rights to remove her from the Academy. Until she graduated, she was a child and therefore under their authority. Iruka had thought her Father would be more reasonable when he'd organised a meeting with them, but both were adamant about removing her and it hurt but her newfound closeness to Naruto was part of the reason, though not the whole one. He'd managed to buy time till the end of term, to let her have the time with her friends, but that was all.
Iruka was worried about the plans they had for her future but he was also worried about Sasuke and Naruto. Would the fall apart without her to act as a buffer? Or would they move even closer in defence? He'd been glad that the three of them had begun bonding, had watched in pride as the two brought plenty of good food to share with Naruto, had helped with his classwork. Naruto had been so desperately lonely, all three of them had in different ways. He'd thought he had a nicely formed team so long as they all graduated at the same time, something he could see happening now with Naruto's improving grades, but without Sakura…
The Sandaime was always willing to listen, perhaps he should tell him, see if he had any ideas. Iruka already knew that getting one of the other girls to sit near them wouldn't work, the only one they really seemed to tolerate outside their group was Hinata but she was too meek to work well with them, they needed someone like Sakura who would speak her mind and stand her ground.
He really didn't want to lose such a good student, a promising future shinobi. Especially to a future of young marriage to someone of money and good standing where she'd be expected to be a lady and provide children, trapped within her home. For some, they would like that life, but Sakura? It would kill her, not physically, but it would destroy her spirit.
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"Sasuke?" Sakura looked from him to the scroll he was offering.
"I found it," he was acutely grinning which…wow.
She slowly accepted the scroll, hesitating when she recognised the seal, though they weren't active. This…this was one of the clan founding documents for the Uchiha within Konoha! When he made an impatient motion with a hand she unrolled it to begin reading, not sure what had him so excited. Sakura read right on passed it before freezing and going back.
"Sasuke-kun?" she whispered.
"I'm clan head by our laws," he pointed out. "I can bring you into the clan as your sponsor. It hasn't been done in years but it's still a valid law. Your parents couldn't remove you from the Academy unless I agreed. Naruto could do it too if he was meant to know of his heritage at this point."
She nodded, hating that so much had been kept from Naruto. How better would his childhood have been if he knew? The arguments against his knowing were stupid, his name was Uzumaki! That would make him enough of a target even if he didn't look so much like Minato. Anyone with a brain would work out his parentage…and his being Jinchūriki hadn't been much of a secret among adults either.
She refocused on the scroll, how long had it taken Sasuke to dig it out? She knew her boys loved her and this was just one more proof. It wouldn't make her a Uchiha, only marriage would do that, but it would give her legal protection and the backing of a clan, even if it was a clan of one…technically three but it wasn't like Itachi or Obito would be coming back any time soon.
Naruto was suddenly draped over her shoulder to see what she was looking at, she hadn't even senses him coming. Both boys had become experts at hiding to escape their guards for training. "This…this could work!" he laughed, hugging her. "No fair, you get to be a Uchiha," he mock pouted.
"Sasuke will be my sponsor Naruto, that doesn't make me a clan member," she pointed out.
"Still more one than I am," he teased and she was glad he was teasing.
He'd been so scared that day, that they would reject him, but she didn't care he wasn't really human anymore and she knew Sasuke didn't either. And she was adapting to being exposed to him without the seal too, it was good training. Kakashi and Zabuza would be shocked when the three of them shrugged off the killing intent during the Wave mission! But even after their assurance that first day, it had taken time for him to fully accept that they didn't care. She knew part of it was grief for Kurama whom they all missed. Naruto and Kurama had gotten really good at switching out on the fly though the bijū had always retreated deep into the seal when the three of them were together or even a pair of them, he had no interest in human mating rituals apparently. Kurama had been with Naruto his whole life, even if he hadn't been aware of him, and she knew his grief was a thousand times worse than theirs. Yes, Sasuke was mourning Itachi, but it was with the knowledge that a younger version of his brother existed now.
"Do you want to do this?" Sasuke asked, and she was surprised to find he was nervous, not that most would be able to tell.
She smiled at him and his eyes lit up with happiness and relief. It wasn't what they all wanted, to be truly family in the eyes of everyone and the law, but it was a first step. No one would ever allow them to marry, they were too young, but once they were genin technically it was legal. Finding someone who would sign off on it with Naruto though might be impossible and she refused to marry only Sasuke, knew he felt the same. Triads were incredibly rare but they did happen.
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Hiruzen stared at the paperwork before him in surprise, re-reading it again. He smirked, well, they had solved that. Iruka had come to him a few days ago, explaining what was happening, but it was out of even his hands. They had the right to withdraw their daughter, especially with a year until graduation age. He had known the three were growing closer and it had been a relief. He had wished for Naruto to have friends and he had been very worried about young Sasuke's mental stability. It appeared that now those worries were not so needed. Clan sponsorship forms completed by clan head Uchiha Sasuke and signed by Haruno Sakura with Uzumaki Naruto, Teuchi, and Ayame signing as witnesses. Two adults and though Naruto didn't know it, another clan head, as witnesses. No one could say the forms were invalid. He stamped them and sent them to be filed.
The only way Sakura could now be removed from the Academy was with Sasuke's agreement and it was quite obvious that would not be given. It seemed they had a new Team 7 and Kakashi was not going to be pleased but he was the only possible sensei for such a team.
TBC…
Do you guys want a time skip to graduation? Not a lot of big things will be happening till around then since they're just working on improving their bodies to be able to handle the skills they know in their heads.
