Its time. I am a little nervous, although I was VERY tempted to just swap out places with Ami. (I am pretty sure I wouldn't need to get her a birthday present this year if she was allowed to have private one-on-one time with Sasuke) However, I successfully resisted the urge. (Mostly because my deal for shruikenjutsu training might then become null, but also because I am pretty confident that having to deal with a fangirl would backfire on the goal of bringing a kid to distract Sasuke.)

So here I am now.

"So… what's Itachi-san like?" I ask Izumi, holding back the blush of once again having my hand held like a small child as we arrive at the Uchiha compound after that long track through the village.

"He's-he's the best." Izumi breathes out a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "He… well, there's no way to describe him." She states simply as though it clears the whole thing up. It's morning bright and early. If you squint, you can even see some orange or red colours touching the clouds on the horizon, but for the most part, the sky is solidly blue. We pick up the pace as the entrance to the compound comes into view, running past the guards that share a look. I feel the familiar shiver run up my spine, telling me that people are trying to look at me without me noticing, and a slightly queasy feeling reminding me not to look too closely at anyone around me or risk falling apart.

The Uchiha compound is the same as the last time I was here. If anything, the feeling of solidarity has grown even though it hasn't been that long at all. Izumi looks oblivious to the stares and whispers, to the fact that one only needs to look at the Uchiha compound to see that something just isn't right. Instead, she leads me through it to a new location. A large house different from Hazuki's but in the same rough style. The house is wooden (again, what do they not get that wooden houses and fire users don't mix?). It's one floor instead of two like the other ones, more old-fashioned, really. There is a small mortar wall with the Uchiha crest on it surrounding the house and garden, and it is quite the garden, actually! There's a koi pond, trees, flowers, and even installed targets for shrunken and Kunai. It's pretty evident that the house belongs to someone important, so I know instantly that this is the house of the main family.

Shoot! What if Itachi and Sasuke's dad is here? Wasn't he the other guy that had the mongekyo? Why am I letting myself get roped into this again?!

"Their… their parents are gone, right?" I whisper to Izumi. She bends down, seemingly having forgotten I was there at all. That, now that, is annoying. I may not be some high-maintenance little kid, but to forget I was even here?

"Oh… nope. They left last night… I think." Izumi says, and I quirk an eyebrow. She thinks? Isn't she sure? I search around. Uchiha signatures all feel somewhat similar to my sensing. Still, I can only sense two other ones on the property other than Izumi, a small hot flame flickering back and forth like electricity, jumping up and down in a near-bubbly excitement. It is rather hard to remember this signature belongs to Sasuke. It reminds me of those weird science plasma balls for some reason, yet at the same time, a cool summer night. Its an actually a pretty cool feeling, rich and old, deep if you looked close enough, yet also eerily reminiscent of Naruto's signature, yet the complete opposite. It really is a confusing signature.

The other signature in the house is a calm sort of busy. Like a blanket of background noise, or how a bunch of individual feathers form a single bird blurring together to take form. It, too, is hot but lacks the same electric rush. It is just hot, no not the right word more like scorching, but in a controlled way, like a blowtorch rather than a bonfire.

Izumi herself is… weird… at least when I am comparing her to the other Uchiha clan members. It's hot, certainly, yet at the same time, it has a cool, flowing quality to it. The two flowing and scorching attributes don't quite meet, bouncing off of each other like bumper cars but never interacting for that long. Her chakra is controlled but not precise like Itachi's… no it is channelled but not kept tight… like… like… I'm not sure what it's like. But she definitely doesn't get that feeling from Hazuki.

Sensing Proficiency Level has risen X3

Sensing Proficiency Level 88

Ability to sense or detect others based on their energy signature and pick out details about them. To double range and accuracy cost 25-50 energy type per minute depending on accuracy wanted. (Available energies to sense- chakra) Range increase per level by 5 m, accuracy and details increase per level and closer to you the person is. Current range 440m.

"Izumi-san?" A voice then asks, tethering me back to my body, and my OTHER senses once again. I look and see Sasuke. He is dressed the same as he always is the few times I've seen him at school. A black shirt and dark grey shorts. His hair is spiky, his dark eyes large and childish, but his face is half scowl, half… well, pout.

"Hey, Sasuke-k…" Izumi begins to say, and as the pout turns more wince like she catches herself coughing into her fist. "chan... sorry, I forgot you don't like 'kun.'" Izumi apologizes sheepishly.

"Chan's not any better." Sasuke then whines, and yes, he whines. He is pouting and whining. Oh great, he's a kid… a real kid. I feel underprepared. "What are you even doing here?"

"Now, now Ototo… I told you that Izumi-san was coming to spend time with me today." A calm, crazy calm, as in calm like the world has become frozen in ice, empty and cold. Yet I can tell there is beauty, life under all that ice.

"But Nii-chan…." Sasuke grumbles, crossing his arms as Itachi kneels down in front of him, his face hopelessly fond despite his blank mask. "You promised that YOU would train ME." He grumbles, now not looking at Itachi but at his feet beneath him.

"Sorry, Sasuke… change of plans." Itachi states, poking Sasuke on his forehead, making him blush bright red, a stark contrast to his pale skin and dark hair like night.

"But 'Tachi…" Sasuke whines again and then suddenly seems to notice that, yes, I am here. Is this the ghost girl title at work? I'm feeling a little like how Shino must feel, always being forgotten.

"Hi, Sasuke-san." I say with an awkward wave from Izumi's side.

"Who are you?" Sasuke questions sharply, his brows furrowed, confused, deeply so.

"Izumi-san brought a friend for you to play with." Itachi states, and by the look of indignation, he does not appreciate the playdate.

"I'm not a baby." Sasuke grumbles, and Itachi looks even more fond, or rather his eyes do.

"Don't be rude." Itachi says and pushes Sasuke forward as Sasuke huffs.

"Name's Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke says, not at all happy. I want to tell him that, yes, I do know who he is. That is, after all, why I called him Sasuke.

"Sayori." I say, putting out my hand for him to shake. He frowns, looking at my hand and then at me, realization shining bright in his eyes as he jumps up.

"Hey! You're that girl who put the flowers in my bag!" Sasuke then yells, and now Itachi looks curious, and I don't know what to do, so I do the first thing that comes to mind.

"No, but you look nice in pink." I tell him, and he pauses, and I hear muffled laughter from both Izumi and Itachi. I realize, Sasuke, for all his future power he, is just a kid, and I am a sort of kid. I grab him by the wrist and drag him behind me.

"Huh?" Is his unintelligible reply I internally smirk.

"You like training? I bet I can beat you in a race." I tell him in a matter-of-fact tone seeing his head swivelling from Itachi to me as his eyes fill with determination.

"No, you can't." Sasuke says, and I let my lip quirk up. Let's see just how good the younger Uchiha prodigy really is.

Parkour Expertise Level 11

The ability to to get for point A to point B quickly whether through flips, climbs, or straight running. Skill with all parkour movement increases per level. Stamina cost decreases with higher levels. Speed increase 1% per level while performing parkour. Base 200% speed. Current ability, speed 211%.

This is going to be fun.

POV Sasuke Uchiha

Itachi is such a big fat liar. I've known it for a long time, but this confirms it! It's proof! Tachi promised, he promised that he would train me when Kaasan and Tousan went away.

Ok… so he IS training me. But why did he have to bring Izumi? Izumi always follows Niisan around so it's not really a surprise. It's not that I don't like her either. No, I like her. She's nice, and even though I hate sweet things, she is always up to buy me a treat of whatever I want, well, in exchange for answering questions on Itachi. Best of all, though, Izumi never, ever compares me to Itachi. Not even once, he never says 'like your brother,' nor does she tell me to be like him even though almost everyone, even TOUSAN, does that. Izumi doesn't. That's why I like her.

Still, I wanted to spend time with Niisan, and only Niisan. He never has time for me anymore. He acts like such an adult even though he's only twelve.

Still, maybe… just maybe, I wouldn't have been that upset (I totally would have) if it was just Izumi. But why did Izumi need to bring along this… this… Sayori…

Sayori is… she's… she's… well, she's not annoying like the girls at the academy who are always making weird faces at me and trying to get my attention. No, they are useless. She isn't useless. But she… she's IRRITATING. It is different. Being around her doesn't necessarily make me angry and upset, at least not immediately, but slowly she gets there. (And not just because she won the race, because she didn't, she cheated, I just need to figure out how.)

She's my age, but I've never seen her in class. The only time I saw her before was with the whole pink flower thing. She says she didn't put the flowers in my bag, but I am not going to just believe that. No way. I bet she did it just to irritate me. Yes, that sounds right. She is irritating, very irritating, and it seems like something she would do.

After running around the yard several times, I start to chase her, and it evolves into hide and go seek. Sometimes I find her, but she mostly finds me. (She must be cheating. No way can she be faster than me that she can beat me six times in a row. There is just no way.) I have to show I'm better at than her at something, so I show off my shurikenjutsu, and Itachi comes over and helps me. I'm better than her at that, at least!

"Your really good at this," Sayori informs me as my Kunai hits the target perfectly.

"Well done, Sasuke." Itachi praises and then shows off his own throwing.

"Wow, Itachi, your amazing." I say in awe, and I see Sayori nod in agreement as one of the Kunai hot it right through the ring on the handle of another kunai. I have no idea how niichan does that.

"You'll be throwing like that soon, Sasuke." Itachi says and with a smile, and then he goes back to talking with Izumi. Sayori throws a Kunai, and it hits the target but not as close to the centre as mine did.

"Why did you come today." I ask as I throw my Kunai once again, hitting the target closer. A flicker of pride fills me.

"Izumi-san promised to help me train if I came." Sayori states, and I pause. That kind of reminds me of begging Itachi to help with training. Uchiha don't really train others when they don't have to. We are a 'tight-knit family,' as Kaasan calls it. So why…?

"Is Izumi-san your Neesan?" I ask, and suddenly the kuani she is throwing misses the target completely.

"N-not… not exactly no." Sayori replies, and I then realize she didn't give me her clan name, did she? "It's nice training with someone." She then states, and I scrunch my face right thinking. Ya, not as good as when Itachi trains with me, but better than training alone. Wait, where is Itachi? I put the Kunai down, not answering the strangely irritating girl.

I am now very tired. I barely notice Itachi… is he… is he actually laughing? He's sitting on the steps with Izumi, and they both seem very happy. It's been quite a while since I've seen my big brother so happy.

I collapse in front of him, my head resting against his knees. He stops laughing and instead smiles at me, smiles in the way he only seems to do with me. Come to think of it, he seems to be getting more and more… sad, except when with me, Shisui, and… well, I guess Izumi.

"She… she… how is she so fast?" I mutter tiredly because the day has barely begun… wait? Why is the sun that far in the sky? It's the morning, isn't it? So why is it on the wrong side of the sky?

"Did you have a nice day?" Itachi says with a slight chuckle, and I see that Sayori sits slightly awkwardly down next to Izumi, who wraps an arm around her pulling her closer. Sayori blushes. The pink and red of her cheeks looks kind of pretty with her big blue eyes. Huh? Where did that thought come from?

"Wait! Day?!" I exclaim in shock, and Itachi chuckles again.

"Why don't you entertain our two guests? I'm going to cook us all a big feast." Itachi tells me, and Sayori seems to perk up at that.

"I'll help." Sayori says excitedly, and there is no way I am being shown up, so despite my sore legs, I spring to my feet, following after Niisan, and definitely not her.