Uchiha Sasuke; 1 Year Later

Age 13

-I'm Not Bitter-

Why does it matter? Why SHOULD it matter?

Who really cares? As long as I know I'm chuunin level, that's all that's important. So what if I didn't even make it to the tournament this time. How could I have made it to the final tournament as only a rookie and not made it this time with a year of experience under my belt?

I'm not bitter. I know I'm better than all the people in that chuunin exam. After all, I watched the thing.

Of course it bothered me. Does no one understand the importance of becoming an excellent ninja? I have to kill Itachi and as long as I'm stuck as a genin training with two losers like Naruto and Sakura, I'm never going to be able to progress any further. Everyone's holding me back and there's nothing I can do about it until next time.

But I'm not bitter.

I started this morning just like any morning. I poured myself a bowl of Ninja Pebbles, the best cereal in the world, and took my time eating. I've long since realized that Kakashi is going to be late every single day so showing up at the appointed time is a waste of everyone's time.

Every time I look at our Uchiha crest, all I can think about is Itachi. And how I'm still a genin. And how he's STILL alive and there's nothing I can do. And how no one really seems to be putting any sort of motion into effect of killing him. Of course, I WILL be the one to finally kill him, but you'd think that other people would be at least TRYING…

I was walking. I saw Shino. He was carrying something folded up in the plastic bag. It was a piece of clothing, and it was green.

He looked briefly at me and then forward again, as if I was not interesting enough for him to take more than a first glance in my direction, even though I definitely am. I passed by him and looked down at the plastic bag.

It was a chuunin vest. He passed the chuunin exam.

Where I could not succeed, he did.

I quickened my pace and tried not to look back at him, but I knew he was thinking the same thing. He was mocking me on the inside. Curse Shino. I'm so much better than him.

I arrived at our team's meeting spot where Naruto and Sakura were waiting. At least, I figured, Naruto and Sakura didn't pass either.

"Good morning, Sasuke!" said Sakura cheerfully.

I decided that today I would just completely ignore her and see what sort of reaction that would get out of her. It had been an entire year since we had graduated the academy and Sakura still things that she and I are meant to be. You'd THINK that at a sensible age like thirteen, she would finally take a hint. I have never and will never have any interest in her whatsoever. The only thing I'm concerned with is becoming a better ninja and perhaps if she concerned herself more with that then she would amount to something as well. Never something like me, but just something in general. ANYTHING would be more than she is right now so she might as well.

I think she noticed because she frowned. But I pretended not to be interested. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely NOT interested but I tried to make it a lot more obvious than it actually was.

"Sasuke, you are LATE!!" said Naruto, pointing at me. "I hope you're not going to make a habit of this!!"

I shook my head in disbelief. How could someone be THAT stupid? He continued to point and growl and make obscene noises and just when I was about to turn around and tell him to shut up, Kakashi appeared.

"Good morning, students." He said. "Today, I'm late because—"

"Don't bother!!" yelled Sakura and Naruto.

I don't know why he always tried to think up a new excuse every time he was late. All he ever succeeded in was getting us even more angry at him; first for being late and second for lying.

"Well it's official." Kakashi went on as if he had not been yelled at. "Gai, Asuma AND Kurenai all have a chuunin on their team and I do not."

"That's not nice!" Sakura said.

I knew they did. I had seen Shino with his. I figured he'd get his vest. After all, he beat me in the preliminaries. He had come in second in the tournament, but second only to Neji whom I assumed was the one from Gai's team who had become a chuunin.

But who was Kakashi to make such an announcement? He was looking directly at me; I knew it. How embarrassing. I was practically on the same level as Sakura.

Kakashi then launched into an annoyingly long explanation of the various things we need to improve upon and the ways in which he was going to help us improve them. It was quite irritating because most of the things he mentioned were things that I most definitely did not need to work on. He was trying not to mention any names, but everyone knew it was only a fluke that I lost to Shino.

I lost to Shino. And now he's a chuunin.

I don't even like the sound of that.

If Shino were here right now, I would have proven to everyone that a single match couldn't determine the ability of a ninja.

"We're going to do a lot of individual training today." I suddenly heard Kakashi say. "It will be strenuous work, but I feel as though you three will—"

Kakashi started to trail off and then look at the sky.

We all waited for him to continue.

But he didn't.

"Will…" Naruto led.

"Can we get a rain check on this?" Kakashi said, looking back at us.

"What?" the three of us said in unison.

"I have to go."

With that, he disappeared.

"WHAT was that?" I said finally.

"Obviously he was preoccupied by something!" said Sakura, sounding cheerful, but she usually does whenever Kakashi cancels training early. "So let's all go out to lunch! It'll be fun!"

"Yeah!" said Naruto.

"Um…Naruto." Said Sakura. "YOU'RE not invited."

"What?!" demanded Naruto. "You said ALL!!"

As the two of them continued to fight in the background, I considered it all. I WAS hungry. What's the harm in going out to eat? I wasn't afraid of leading Sakura into believing that I liked her or anything because she'll believe that whether I eat lunch with her or not.

It would be sort of a drag to have to go out with Naruto and Sakura though. However, there's always the chance that Sakura will pick up the bill for me, so why not give it a shot?

"Sure." I said, not concerning myself with the fact that those two were in the middle of speaking with each other.

"Really?!" Sakura said, immediately turning her back to Naruto.

If I considered Naruto to be a friend at all, I would probably point Sakura in his direction. But since I don't like Naruto in the least bit, I'll just ignore them both all together.

We seated ourselves at a local restaurant, one that has a grill in the middle of the table. I was going to leave all the grilling to Sakura and Naruto.

"Sasuke, this is a DREAM!" Sakura said, scooting her chair closer to mine. In response, Naruto scooted his chair closer to Sakura so the three of us were scrunched over on to one side of the table. We looked pretty foolish.

I didn't reply. I only stood up with a sigh and moved my chair over to the other side of the table.

Sakura, of course, moved her chair closer to mine, but so it was more in the middle of Naruto and I, hoping to end the cycle before it began.

As I looked at the menu, I could only think of three things.

One; Itachi. How DARE he kill my clan. It's not even HIS clan anymore. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the last Uchiha. When I got my hands on him, I was going to kill him in the most terrible way I could think of. I've already improved on my speech from last time I saw him. My NEW speech will scare him so bad. But still… WHY did he kill the clan?! Man, I hate him for that!!

Two; Shino. How did he become a chuunin instead of me? How did he beat me in the preliminaries? That was just so completely unfathomable that I don't even know how to explain it to people! Just thinking about it made me feel embarrassed. I knew the chuunin vest that he had now was rightfully mine, even though I deserved one last year too. I mean, the guy who was overlooking the tournament said himself that I was at chuunin level.

Third; what was I going to order? There was so much to choose from…

I suddenly zoned in right in the middle of one of Sakura and Naruto's many arguments about something petty. I would have commented about how much they were both SO annoying, but I caught some people coming in the restaurant out of the corner of my eye.

The presence of Neji, Tenten and Lee normally would not offend me in the least bit. But, as Lee came over to worship Sakura, I couldn't help but take note of something that I was not all that enthusiastic to see.

Neji in a chuunin vest.

How…DARE he become a chuunin.

It was bad enough that Shino was one, but for Neji to be one was like a slap across the face. I don't know why it bothered me so much, but it could have been because he was just standing there acting all cocky wearing his vest as if he NEEDED to wear it.

I couldn't help but grip the menu tighter and tighter as it began to fold and collapse under the pressure.

Why couldn't I be a chuunin? Everyone knew I was good enough.

"Sasuke, are you all right?" Sakura asked suddenly.

I wanted to fight Neji just to prove to everyone that I deserved a vest as well and should be awarded one, but he as well as the rest of his team took themselves to another table.

I put the folded menu down on the table and rose out of my seat.

"Sasuke, where are you going?" Sakura called as I hurried out of the restaurant.

I knew both she and Naruto were following me. But the last thing I wanted right now was to have Naruto and Sakura seeing me sulk.

I rounded the corner and immediately pushed open the door, entering into a building in which I didn't even bother checking to see what it held inside.

A flower shop.

The smell of flowers filled the air as I heard a voice call out, "Welcome!… Oh, hi Sasuke!"

Upon looking up, I saw Ino standing behind the counter.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

I didn't answer her and only turned away, pretending to be interested in some flowers. While the last thing I was interested in was flowers, I wasn't about to lead her into believing that I had come into the flower shop just to visit her and have her in my company.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" she asked, suddenly very close.

"No, not really." I said, trying to make her go away as I moved across the store. WHY did I have to come in THIS store? Any other store would have been acceptable but it had to be in the one place where another obsessive girl was.

She continued to follow me around, pestering me in a way that she must have thought was subtle.

Finally, I turned around. "Ino," I said. "I can't find the type of flower I'm looking for. So I'm leaving."

I moved by her and towards the door.

"Sasuke, wait!" she called.

I put my hand on the door and stopped. I don't know why I waited, but I did. "Sasuke…tell me honestly." She said. "Do you love Sakura?"

I don't know why I had been expecting anything else. So I didn't answer and just pushed the door open, leaving before she could plead with me anymore. It had been a while since I had seen Ino but she really hadn't changed at all. And to think we used to be friends back in the academy. But that was…well, before Itachi killed my clan.

So that's how it is. Neji and Shino are chuunins and I'm stuck as a genin on the same team as Naruto and Sakura. What was to become of me? How would I EVER become strong enough to kill Itachi if they kept holding me back?

If Kakashi trained me better instead of wasting all his time on Naruto and Sakura then I'm sure I would be a much better ninja. That's the way it goes. It's everyone else's fault except mine.