The wake of the debacle of a practice match with Team Ten resulted in a lot of changes for Team Seven. Their schedules became all mixed up as Naruto and Sayaka tried to get in as much time as they could with the trauma counselors before Team Seven was deployed again. Which was to say, Naruto tried, and Sayaka sort of listlessly followed.
Being told that she had battle fatigue didn't worry Sayaka that much. That was normal for ninja, after all. What worried her—irritated her, made her feel anxious—was that counseling took time away from training that she could be spending to get better. She still wasn't back to her pre-injury standard in nearly any respect, though at least her chakra control hadn't suffered.
The way she saw it, the only way to not get triggered in combat again was to be fast enough and strong enough that she wouldn't get caught by any paralysis jutsu in the future. Or maybe, she needed to get caught some more, to make herself move past it and learn to think through the panic. Either way, she needed to be on a practice field, not talking through her feelings and her history with a counselor in a softly lit room in the hospital.
"Try to think of this time as training," said Kagami, her counselor, when Sayaka voiced this feeling. "I know it's frustrating, but emotional control is important for a ninja just as much as chakra control and taijutsu."
Sayaka grunted and looked down at her feet. She didn't want to admit it, but the counselor had a point. A ninja who couldn't control their emotions on a mission was as much a liability as they were an asset. She knew that well enough, but—
"I'm not afraid of being trapped," Sayaka said, looking back up at Kagami. "It's not a conscious reaction. I need to train to stop reacting that way, right?"
Kagami made a waffling gesture with their clipboard. "It is not clear how much that helps. Some ninja do well, others do worse. My job is to figure out which one you are."
"I'm the first kind," Sayaka said firmly. "I— my family— I have to be stronger, and I can only do that by training."
Kagami raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think that?"
"I— what else is there?" Sayaka asked. "You can't push your limits without training."
"Perhaps," said Kagami, and they shrugged one shoulder noncommittally while writing something down on the clipboard. "Well, it seems we're out of time for today. Please remember to come in tomorrow, and please follow the restrictions I've laid out for your routine."
Sayaka sucked in her breath between her teeth, sighed, and nodded. "Fine," she said, and stood to leave. "Thank you for your time."
"You shouldn't feel obliged to be polite with me, Uchiha-hime," said Kagami, not looking up from their clipboard as they wrote. "If you don't like being here, you shouldn't hide it. But I will insist that you come anyway."
Sayaka felt her lip curl and squashed the sneer she was tempted to make. "I admit that this feels like a waste of time," Sayaka said as calmly as she could. "However, I recognize that you are doing what you think is best."
"As is your sensei," said Kagami, and this time they did look up. "Do you doubt your sensei?"
Sayaka struggled not to grind her teeth and dipped her head. "I do not."
"Mm. Well, I have another patient, so I must say goodbye."
Sayaka bowed again, and left.
Despite Sayaka's frustrations, Naruto seemed to respond well to his sessions. His mood improved remarkably over the following weeks, as did his skill with the Kyuubi's chakra and his ability to focus during training. Whatever was happening between Naruto and his counselor in those soundproofed rooms was clearly effective, and, reluctantly, Sayaka tried her best to be productive with her own counselor.
Between sessions in the counselor's office and personal training, Sayaka found the time to apologize to Team Ten, and Shikamaru in particular. Asuma had evidently explained things to them, and nobody blamed her. If anything, they seemed more worried about what would happen when Team Ten finally saw combat. Would they go through something similar?
Well, it wasn't any of Sayaka's concern. What would happen would happen and their jounin sensei would take care of what happened afterwards. As long as they were on positive terms with her, she was content.
Hinata was pulled into clan training and administration as the clan as a whole began to prepare for their part in the coming conflict. She was looking frazzled of late, drinking more tea and napping in the afternoons when she could get away from the clan to do team training with Sayaka and Naruto. Despite the tiredness, she was also definitely improving and was getting notably faster.
"There is a technique that m-many Hyuuga use to close to attack," she explained once. "At its root it is j-just a chakra control e-exercise, but it is a challenge. I am not yet very good at it."
"Some chakra control exercise," Naruto wheezed, hands on his knees and trying to take slow, deep breaths. "That was fast. I could barely even see."
"You're just slow," said Sayaka, mostly teasing.
"Tch, you got hit too," Naruto replied.
"Not as badly."
"That's just 'cause of your fancy-schmancy Sharingan."
"It helps," Sayaka conceded, and turned her eyes back on. The experience was still a novel one, and while it was really lame that she'd activated her eyes in a sparring match gone wrong, she wasn't about to wish them back so that she could earn them in a proper fight. "It looks like it helps you push off the ground with much greater force, Hinata."
Hinata nodded. "T-that's correct. A t-true master can do it w-without leaving a trace, but I s-still leave impressions in the ground."
Sayaka turned a gimlet eye at the tiny divots Hinata had left in the surface of the soil of their training ground.
"Right," she said. "Well, the speed is more important than the stealth."
Hinata ducked her head and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "T-thank you for the praise, b-but I still have a long way to g-go."
The one thing that they could not train was Sayaka's new Sharingan. Her bloodline had activated with two tomoe in her left eye, while her right eye only had one. Already, her eyes could cast hypnotic genjutsu, help make movement easier to follow, and provide eidetic memory. It was, by all accounts, an impressive start for an Uchiha and their bloodline.
But genjutsu didn't slot well into Sayaka's current repertoire, and the other abilities only helped so much. She was being held back by her conditioning. It didn't matter what she copied or what she could see if her body couldn't move fast enough, couldn't make enough chakra, and the only way to overcome that in the short term was to advance her Sharingan until she could use its more advanced capabilities. The trouble was that only Kakashi could help her, and while he could certainly give tips on how to use what she had, he had no advice on how to gain more power.
"My Sharingan was gifted to me with two tomoe," he had explained. "The third tomoe came in naturally after several combat missions. As far as I know, you can only advance by using it in battle."
Sayaka had incinerated seven scarecrows afterwards to calm down. That old feeling, of spinning her wheels while everything else moved around her, was starting to creep in. The medic nin had said she should be back up to speed by now, but she wasn't. She was still slower, still weaker, still got out of breath when she shouldn't be. It seemed like it had been a long time since she had felt so stuck, and the time between made it sting. It didn't matter how good her record was and how fast she had advanced as a ninja. She had all these things that she needed to do to get better and she couldn't do any of it. Her injuries had put her behind, her Sharingan had finally arrived but she had no way to get better with it, and she still had a long way to go before she could kill her brother.
It made her insides bubble and her teeth creak as she wound back a punch and ran it viciously into a tree trunk, chakra flaring as she contacted exactly like she was supposed to in order to reinforce her bones and keep them from breaking. The tree rattled, but no leaves fell.
"You uh, trying to kill the tree there, Sayaka?"
Sayaka sucked in a breath between her teeth, then blew it out. "Kiba."
"That was a pretty good punch," said Kiba.
Sayaka turned and attempted to hold her composure. Akamaru barked at her from the front of Kiba's hoodie. "Thanks. Hi Akamaru."
"You uh, want to go get some food?" Kiba asked, cocking a thumb over his shoulder as Akamaru wiggled at Sayaka. "It's like, almost six."
Sayaka frowned and looked at where the sun was on the horizon. Dammit.
"Hiroyo is making dinner," said Sayaka, shaking her head. "Sorry." Then, because she was insane, she heard herself add: "Do you want to come?"
Kiba blinked at her, then nodded. "Sure. Though, it's probably not good to bring a guest over at the last minute like this."
Sayaka shrugged and contemplated why she was an idiot sometimes. "We usually have leftovers, but I might pick something up at the shop to make up for it. You like meat, right?"
"Nah, you don't have to do that," said Kiba, but Akamaru barked something. "Oh, but Akamaru wants to know what he'll eat."
"….I think they have dog food at the shop?" Sayaka said. She honestly wasn't sure. "Er, what does Akamaru eat anyway?"
"Not canned dog food," said Kiba, making a face. "That stuff is gross."
"…have you tried it?"
"Yeah. Haven't you?"
"No? Who does that?"
Kiba flushed and rubbed his nose. "W-well, I was curious, and let me tell you, it's gross."
Sayaka felt herself smile at Kiba's expression. "Fair enough, I guess. Let's, um, let's get going then? We'll figure something out when we get there."
They set off, with Sayaka trying to lead Kiba on a relatively discreet path. It seemed a little paranoid, but old habits died hard. By now she'd definitely finished any dates she needed to go on for the sake of clan negotiations, and nobody else had caught her eye, so in principle there was nothing that Sayaka needed to fear from the rumor mill. Still, who knew what a bunch of gossipy housewives could come up with?
"Say, you went on a date with Shino didn't you?" Kiba asked. "How did that go?"
"It was fine," said Sayaka before going quiet for a moment. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she thought how to put it. "He's actually really nice."
"Mm."
"I never got to ask him about, you know, my brother," Sayaka said, looking down at the ground. "He's… hard to read. But I think he's a pretty good guy."
"Better than me?"
Sayaka glanced over at Kiba. He was looking out into the middle distance, seemingly just watching where he was walking.
"Maybe," said Sayaka. "I think he works very hard at becoming a skilled ninja. His clan is strong too, and their bloodline ability is very powerful."
Kiba grunted.
"I'm pretty sure you and Akamaru could take him though," Sayaka said.
Kiba grunted again, but Sayaka glanced over and could see him grinning. "Kinda pointless fight though. We'd just hurt each other and end up in the hospital."
"Yeah."
"You going to go on a second date with him?"
Sayaka shook her head. "I think I—" for a second her tongue caught in her throat and a jolt of butterflies went through her stomach "—I think I like you."
"…you mean, you like me better?" asked Kiba, and this time Sayaka was the one carefully not looking at the other person in the conversation.
"I… I guess," she said and hoped she wasn't blushing too hard. "I mean, you're a good match. The Inuzuka clan is pretty strong, your bloodline ability is strong as well, and it probably would be a good compliment to the Sharingan. But that's the same for the Aburame clan, so from a clan alliances point of view it's the same."
"…uh huh."
Sayaka sighed. She was not doing this well. "I looked into the clan traditions of Konoha. If two suitors are an equal match to a bride, it is usually the case that the bride may choose based on her personal preference. For a clan heir, like me, it usually is a political question, but since the Uchiha clan has a… unique situation, I have more freedom than I normally would to choose."
Which was to say, the Uchiha Clan had prestige, but Sayaka lacked political allies and literally anyone with enough strength would do. Neither the Aburame nor the Inuzuka were that prominent, but they weren't weak either, and would probably only grow in strength.
"I guess you made a better first impression," Sayaka admitted. "You're easy for me to understand. I don't like political stuff, and if I'm going to date someone I don't want to deal with that. If I did something you didn't like, you would just tell me, and the same goes the other way. And… and I appreciate the fact that you'd be willing to help with my brother. So, if we got married I think it wouldn't be too hard for us to figure something out."
There was a long moment of silence.
Then Akamaru yipped and Kiba snorted. "Akamaru and I both think that was the lamest confession we ever heard."
Sayaka felt herself flush. "Buzz off," said Sayaka, punching Kiba in the shoulder.
"Seriously, like, could you have come up with a more roundabout way of saying 'hey, I think I like you that way, we should date'?" said Kiba, rubbing his shoulder and rolling his eyes. "We already had the talk about getting married and stuff. How is this the thing that makes you embarrassed?"
"Shut up, Inuzuka," said Sayaka. She could feel her face burning. "It's different, okay?"
Kiba clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes again. "Yeah sure, and the Hokage's hat is green. I want you to say it properly."
Sayaka stopped in the street to look at him. "I'm sorry?"
"I said, say it properly," said Kiba, planting his hands on his hips and looking at her with a very determined expression. "I wanna hear you say it."
"Say what?"
"Your confession!" said Kiba. "Do it right! This is an important moment for me!"
Sayaka goggled at him then looked away. "I— fine. Inuzuka Kiba, I— I think I—"
Kiba leaned forward. "Yes?"
"I think I have a crush on you, alright? Gods."
Kiba grinned and Akamaru barked something and the two of them took a moment to do a little dance. "Yes!"
"Are you done now?" Sayaka asked, and turned to keep walking. "We're going to be late."
"Hey man, give me my moment!" said Kiba, running to catch up. "I've had a crush on you since, like, years ago. You're the coolest girl in our class, you know that right? I always wanted to date you."
Sayaka raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?"
"Yeah! But I never confessed, 'cause you were always kind of intimidating," said Kiba. He grinned brightly at her. "I'm glad that we had that date though, 'cause I got to see the cute side of you too."
Sayaka punched him in the shoulder again. Dammit. Kiba needed to stop making her feel all fluttery inside. "I'm not cute."
"I dunno, this counts as cute for an Inuzuka," said Kiba. He tucked his hands into his pockets as he walked beside her.
Sayaka snorted. "You have weird standards."
"And aren't you lucky I have them?"
"Tch."
They turned the last corner to Sayaka's apartment, and a thought occurred to her. "If we're dating, is it going to cause a problem for you and Shino?"
Kiba's expression turned sober. "I'm not sure. I never asked."
"You'll have to figure it out."
"Yeah."
They entered the apartment building in silence except for the clang of the door as it shut and the thump of their footsteps on the stairs.
"You're serious about this?" Kiba asked as Sayaka fished her apartment key out of her pouch. "About dating me, I mean."
Sayaka looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Have I ever not been serious about this sort of thing?"
"No."
"Why would I stop now then?"
Kiba grinned at her. "You wouldn't."
Sayaka maintained eye contact as she unlocked the door and opened it, only turning away to step across the threshold of her apartment. "I'm back, Hiroyo. Is it okay that I brought Kiba with me?"
The news inevitably spread like wildfire, and Kiba almost didn't have time to talk to Shino before the village's latest bit of gossip had ricocheted around to the Aburame.
"I confess to disappointment," Shino said. "It is widely known that Sayaka is an excellent catch. I would have liked to date her."
"Sorry man," said Kiba, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I dunno what to say."
"Do not worry, I will get over it," said Shino with a wave of his hand. "I may need a day or two, but our teamwork will not be impacted. Congratulations."
"Thanks," said Kiba. He licked his lips. "I— yeah. Thanks."
True to his word, Shino did not linger on the issue, and Team Eight's coordination took no hits. It was lucky, as more than one genin team had been torn apart by much the same, and Kurenai counted her blessings.
News of Sayaka's decision seemed to put Naruto in a contemplative mood—less and less of a novelty for him, now—and for a few days he seemed perpetually lost in thought.
"You know, me and Hinata aren't, like, official or anything," he remarked one day while juggling kunai with the Kyuubi's chakra while Hinata was stuck in a clan event. Sayaka was quickly getting used to the sensation that was emitted by the stuff. "I feel like it's probably not something we should ever do."
"No, that would be bad," said Sayaka, pausing in her shuriken practice to look at him. "You were thinking about it?"
"Well, I mean, kind of," said Naruto. He flicked the kunai one by one into the target downrange and frowned at the broad scatter. "Like, it'd be kind of nice, you know? But I can't do anything too romantic or people will start to notice."
"You're into that sort of thing, huh?"
"Well I mean yeah, obviously," said Naruto. He raised his hand and had the Kyuubi's chakra reach out to start retrieving the kunai. "Like, I dunno, I guess, now that I think about it, I just sort of go for cute girls, but Hinata's pretty special, so I want to treat her better, you know? Does that make sense?"
Sayaka squinted at him. "…are you really Naruto?"
Naruto scowled at her. "I'm not that bad."
"You're pretty bad," said Kakashi, and Naruto yelped and nearly dropped his kunai. "You know she's been pining after you since you became genin, right?"
"Earlier, actually," said Sayaka. "Since we were nine."
Naruto's scowl deepened. "I know now, okay? Anyway the point is that I gotta make up for it, but like, people probably gossip about her like they gossip about you, and it would suck if I made Hinata-chan's life worse by accident."
"Where is all this introspection coming from anyway?" Kakashi asked. "Not that we're complaining."
"Ehh, well, my counselor and Grumpyface both make me do a lot of guided meditation," said Naruto. He squinted downrange and raised a tendril full of kunai, then whipped them forward again. Damn it, the spread was still pretty bad. "It's super boring, but like, I guess it's helping, so I guess I have to keep doing it. It's kind of like chakra control exercises, you know? Don't you do any meditation, Sayaka?"
Sayaka turned back to the targets downrange and readied her shuriken. "No. My counselor says it's not a good idea."
Naruto paused to think about this, scratching his chin while retrieving his kunai. "Maybe they're afraid you'll go crazy?"
The expression Sayaka turned on Naruto threatened spontaneous combustion. Kakashi winced—what a tactless thing to say. "I'm not going to go crazy."
"Maa maa, I just meant, maybe like, it'll trigger something involuntary," said Naruto, backing away while making supplicating gestures. "You know, like uhhhhh—"
"I know a chunin who got mauled once by a giant wolf that a clan in Kumo keeps as familiars," said Kakashi before Naruto could stick his foot in his mouth a second time. "He can't work with Inuzuka any more—it gives him flashbacks."
Sayaka turned and hurled her shuriken downrange, where they buried themselves in the wood. "Yeah, well, he can still work."
"Sure."
"How am I supposed to get over this if we keep avoiding it?" Sayaka asked. She slid another handful of shuriken out of her holster.
"You're not avoiding it, the counselor is just trying to build up to it," said Kakashi.
"Then what's taking so long?" Sayaka asked, lip curling in irritation before she hurled her shuriken again. They thudded home, nearly atop one another in the bullseye of the target.
Kakashi didn't have much he could say. "These things take time," he said, shrugging. "It took me ten years."
Sayaka scowled but stayed silent. She didn't have ten years. If her brother came back before then, and she hadn't managed to fix herself, things would go very, very badly. Not to mention that losing it over paralysis and capture jutsu was a serious concern—what would happen if an enemy got lucky on a mission?
Naruto and Kakashi looked at each other, helpless, as Sayaka wound back and threw a third time. What could they say, really? There wasn't anything that anyone could do except wait. If the counselor didn't think Sayaka was ready, then she wasn't ready. They wanted to help her, but they couldn't push it without risking even more harm.
That was that.
For all her life's frustrations, Sayaka did find a moment of satisfaction later that week, albeit from an unlikely source.
"Saaayakaaa," sang Ino.
"We have questions," said Sakura.
"No," said Sayaka.
"Sayaka, that's not very nice!" said Ino, snatching up Sayaka's arm before escape could be made. "Come on, we three competed for top kunoichi in the Academy. Us rivals should catch up now that we're genin!"
"That's not how that works," said Sayaka flatly. If she threw Ino into that cart, would she be forced to make reparations? How much could it really cost if she was? Maybe it would be worth it to get away from this conversation.
"Sure it is," said Sakura, grabbing at Sayaka's other arm. Sayaka flinched away from the other girl's hand as if it would burn her. If either Sakura or Ino noticed, they didn't react. "It's, mm, reconnecting! Or something."
Sayaka gave them both the most unimpressed, unconvinced stare she could muster. They were excellent examples of the prototypical kunoichi, all innocent looks and pretty faces.
"Ugh," Sayaka sighed. "Fine."
"Excellent!" said Ino, and she pressed a drink into Sayaka's hands before dragging her to a nearby cafe table. "So Kiba."
"Why him?" asked Sakura.
"Seriously?" asked Sayaka.
"Yes," said both girls simultaneously, and Sayaka sighed again. For the love of everything.
Sayaka took an experimental sip of the beverage Ino had handed her and winced. It was something hilariously fruity and sweet. "I dunno. Why do you pick boys?"
"Well personally I go for the refined type," said Ino with a flick of her ponytail. "Only the most elegant man for an elegant kunoichi like myself."
"As long as he's cute, I don't really mind honestly," said Sakura thoughtfully. "As long as he's not annoying, and oh, I do like them with nice hair."
"You're really shallow, Sakura."
"Takes one to know one, Ino."
"Anyway the point is, Kiba's none of those things," said Ino. She gestured vaguely with her drink. "You know, he's kind of—"
"—boorish?" supplied Sakura.
"Smells a little," added Ino.
"Though not like he doesn't wash," said Sakura, "but like, he's one of those boys that always kind of has that smell of his? It's a little weird."
"I like it," said Sayaka, shrugging. It was hard to pin down as smells went, but it was pleasant enough. Maybe a bit musky, so she could see why others might not like it. "He also trains a lot."
"Oooo," cooed the other girls, and Sayaka felt a pang of deepest despair.
"So you like the strong, manly type," said Ino, nodding appreciatively. "I can see it, you're always training after all, so you'd pick a boy who wouldn't mind."
"Mm, and Naruto trains a lot but is Naruto."
Sayaka snorted. Probably the only girl interested in Naruto was Hinata.
"Still, you could have gone for Shino too," Sakura continued. "So why Kiba?"
"The Inuzuka bloodline works better," said Sayaka. Which wasn't true, but she would lie to the two of them for days before admitting that she had a crush.
"Is it really just clan things?" asked Sakura. She and Ino leaned in close and Sayaka leaned away, grimacing. "Oooo I see you blushing~"
"I'm not blushing," said Sayaka, turning away and taking a sip of the drink reflexively before nearly gagging. Gods above, why was it so sweet?
"Eee, I think the great Uchiha-hime has a crush on someone!" Ino squeed, but quietly, because she knew Sayaka would kill her if she were to make a scene here in public about this sort of thing. "I'm so happy for you Sayaka! Ah, so romantic."
Sayaka rolled her eyes. "Thanks."
"So have you kissed yet?"
"No."
"You've held hands though right?"
"No."
This prompted scandalized gasps. "But Sayaka."
"We barely know each other," said Sayaka testily. "We went on one arranged date and talked a few times. Who kisses someone after that?"
"A kiss after the first date is totally normal," said Sakura, waving a finger authoritatively. "It's like, the way you show you're interested!"
"…Have you even been on a date with someone yet?" asked Sayaka.
"N-no, but that's not the point," said Sakura quickly, going briefly pink before soldiering on. "The point is that you gotta kiss him before we all start heading out to Senfuku."
Sayaka made a perplexed expression at her. "I do?"
"Yeah, it's like, a major plot point," said Sakura. "The heroine always gives her intended a farewell kiss before riding off into battle."
Sayaka furrowed her brown. "You mean the hero."
"Right sure, but you're the main character here."
"That—" Sayaka started, stunned by the convolutions in logic on display in front of her. "That makes no sense."
"Sure it does," said Ino. "But if you want to take it slow that's fine too, right Sakura?"
"Yeah, especially because if you break my teammate's heart I'll have to sock you," said Sakura, and she flexed her arm with a grin. "I'm getting a lot stronger these days!"
"Uh huh," said Sayaka. She looked at them in silence for a moment, then got to her feet. "Anyway, if you're finished, I have some shopping to do."
"Oh, what are you buying?" asked Ino. Sayaka felt trepidation—there was a strange glint to Ino's eyes that reminded her of a cat sensing weakness in its prey.
"I need new clothes," said Sayaka, folding her arms.
Sakura made a disappointed noise. "Really? Jeez, I want to come!"
"You have a team meeting though."
"Yes, exactly, but obviously I'd rather go shopping with Sayaka."
Sayaka rolled her eyes again. "Please don't."
"Oh come on, Sayaka, it'd be fun!" said Sakura enthusiastically. "What are you planning on buying? Skirts were a great choice, you know, they're super cute on you."
Sayaka scowled and picked at the edge of her skirt with a frown. "That's the reason. The team will be running missions again soon, and I need something that isn't as cutesy."
"Mmmm, yeah, I think I know what you mean," said Ino, gaze immediately sharpening as she flicked her gaze over Sayaka. "You started dressing like that to be less threatening, right?"
Sayaka blinked. "I guess."
"But you want to be taken seriously as a fighting kunoichi, so you're looking for a change in style," said Ino, nodding to herself. "You've tried out leggings?"
"We had some in Senfuku, from Lord Hayashi. Tailored kobakama."
"Right, I know a place that sells things like that," said Ino. She smiled brightly. "I can show you, but in return you need to tell me more about why you like Kiba, so that I can tell Sakura later after her team meeting."
Sayaka made a face like she was being forced to chew a stick of black licorice, but she made the mistake of glancing over at Sakura, who was gazing at Sayaka plaintively as if saying no would cause Sakura to suffer actual, physical harm from disappointment.
Ugh.
"Fine," Sayaka sighed. Ino and Sakura cheered.
Sakura left for her team meeting soon after, promising to bring Sayaka's love to Kiba. Sayaka tried to strangle her for it, but Sakura just danced away with a laugh. Sayaka pondered all the ways she could immolate herself and escape further public embarrassment.
The shop that Ino took Sayaka to was being manned by an anxious-looking girl named Mayako. She seemed oddly familiar, though Sayaka couldn't place exactly how, and seemed to know Ino well. Mayako was eager for their business, especially when she realized that Ino had brought along none other than the Last Uchiha, and immediately went out of her way to provide the best service she could possibly muster.
"My mother usually runs the shop but she had to step out for a moment for an important errand," Mayako explained as she bowed to Sayaka. "I apologize that she is not here to attend to you, Uchiha-hime."
"Er, it's fine," said Sayaka. It was still a little uncomfortable being treated this way.
"Sayaka here is looking for some new clothes," said Ino. "You guys have been pretty good for me in the past, so I thought maybe you could help her out."
Mayako bowed again. "Of course, Lady Yamanaka! We are honored that you think of us so. I will do my best until my mother returns. If I may ask, Lady Uchiha, what is it you are looking for?"
Despite her deference, Mayako had no trouble hitting Sayaka with a rapid-fire barrage of questions as she led them deeper into the shop. The first thing Mayako reached for was a series of close-fitting shirts with sleeves that would extend out past Sayaka's elbows and a hemline that ended halfway down her hips.
"The fabric is a twill weave from the Hokage's Workshop," said Mayako, voice turning thoughtful as she rubbed the fabric between her fingers. "It's made of one-quarter wool and three-quarters cotton. The cotton threads are treated with the wax of a plant they found out in the western fern forests that reacts with chakra to form a hard-wearing varnish. Together, you get a fabric that helps wick moisture away from your skin while remaining water-resistant, fire-resistant, and able to prevent scrapes and burns."
Well, Sayaka didn't remember much about fabric from kunoichi classes, but the last bit was what was important. "Interesting. How much does it cost?"
The price was a shock even for Ino.
"Jeez, must be some hard stuff to make," said Ino with a wince. "I'd help you out, Sayaka, but my parents don't give me that much allowance."
"Don't worry about it," Sayaka grunted. After all, her income wasn't exactly large either. Hiroyo's childcare allowance didn't cover buying specialized combat equipment. The money coming from the Uchiha estate was significant and helped a lot, but it was still less than Ino's family income, or at least it would be until Sayaka turned sixteen, or got married, whichever came first.
Hm. Maybe she should just marry Kiba now and get that extra cash.
Sayaka restrained herself from laughing at the idea. There was dating, and there was rushing into a commitment thoughtlessly. She would just have to do the best she could with what she had, for now. Besides, maybe she'd get lucky like Naruto and snag a missing-nin bounty on Team Seven's next mission.
"The varnish is the expensive part," said Mayako. She hummed thoughtfully. "Mmm, canvas would do just as well for abrasion and can be recycled, so it has good resale value when it wears out. Lady Uchiha, you already have underwear that wicks sweat, correct?"
Sayaka nodded. "I do."
"In that case let me show you some possible alternatives," said Mayako. She led them over to a rotating display, where several different kinds of shirts and jackets were hung up by their sleeves with a pole running in from one sleeve and out the other. The available fabrics for each were hung on a string at the end of the pole. "Canvas is a tough, abrasion-resistant fabric that we recommend if you expect to abuse your equipment. It can be made in a variety of colors and takes treatments well, though as you can see the texture of the weave and the weight of the fabric will lend a certain style to your outfit."
"I go for pure cotton," Ino added. "It's very light and drapes well. It's best for that elegant kunoichi look, you know?"
Sayaka glanced sideways at Ino with a flatness to her lips. Who cared about that? "Is canvas very popular?" she asked Mayako.
Mayako gestured vaguely. "It depends. Most of the designs we work with are intended for our male customers, since most kunoichi prefer cotton, like Lady Yamanaka. The texture of canvas isn't very fashionable right now, and the fabric tends to be stiff and not flatter a girl's figure."
"That isn't relevant."
"Of course, miss, though I must mention that these designs are fairly easy to alter," Mayako said. "If there is something here which you are interested in, you could try it on and we could see what alterations would be needed."
Sayaka considered this. She couldn't care less about the fabric's texture as long as it could hold up in combat. And a little attention to her appearance wouldn't hurt. "Do you have anything that is similar to the shirt we were just looking at?"
"Mm, yes, I think so," said Mayako. She flipped through the display for a moment, then stepped back to show Sayaka what she had found. To Sayaka's eyes it didn't look all that different from the more expensive shirts they had been looking at, with the only difference that the sleeves were looser, since canvas had much less stretch to it.
"This seems fine," said Sayaka. "What fabric do you suggest?"
"The heavier fabrics will be best, I think," said Mayako. She considered. "Well, perhaps something in the middle. You don't use much grappling, if I recall correctly?"
Sayaka paused. How would Mayako know that? The only way would be if she had spent a lot of time watching Sayaka fight, which wasn't possible unless…
She realized why Mayako seemed familiar. "You were in our class."
Mayako froze, then ducked her head. "T-that is correct, Lady Uchiha."
Sayaka looked at Mayako again. She didn't have strong memories of the girl, only that she had been among those who received regular praise in the kunoichi classwork. The deferential behavior seemed new, but Sayaka honestly couldn't say what Mayako had been like.
"Why aren't you in the field?" Sayaka asked. Ino winced. Had Sayaka done something wrong?
"Um, my… my jounin sensei did not pass my team," said Mayako. She swallowed, then cleared her throat. "My family needed the income, so I decided to work in the shop."
Oh. "I see."
"Mayako's planning on trying again next year," said Ino. "There's only so many jounin that get freed up for genin each graduation, so, you know. It's not a big deal."
Sayaka nodded. "Of course. I hope your training goes well."
Mayako glanced up at Sayaka and smiled briefly, then turned her eyes back down to the ground. "Thank you very much, Lady Uchiha," she said. "I intend to work hard."
They were all lying to each other, of course, but the truth was too impolite. There were dozens of tailors in Konoha. Mayako wouldn't be able to help enough to make a difference if she kept up her ninja training. Unless she got some kind of administrative role in the tower, but even then…
Sayaka held back a sigh. "Well, let's continue. I prefer striking, it's true. You said the medium-grade fabric is best?"
"Yes miss," said Mayako, clearly grateful for the topic change. "Light canvas won't hold up well to fighting, but it is lighter and a little cooler. Heavy canvas is stiffer, and some people say that it allows air to circulate better, but if you prefer this kind of shirt then you won't see the benefit and it will restrict your movement more."
Sayaka nodded and stepped closer to examine the different kinds of fabric available. "What about supplementary equipment?"
"Well, we sell several different varieties of knee and elbow guards, miss," Mayako said while gesturing at the shop's display. "These are just examples, of course, since we cannot make the armor components ourselves, but you can see that we have arrangements with tanners and smiths who can provide you with the protection you need."
Sayaka idly rubbed one of the fabric samples between her fingers. It was a blend of cotton and hemp, more expensive than the pure hemp fabrics according to the tag but also likely to be much more comfortable. A week's worth of shirts and two pairs of leggings would probably cut deep into her savings if she went with this fabric for all of it. Did she really want to get a set of pads as well? Maybe gloves would be better, since she used wire so much, but getting something that could resist razor wire wasn't going to be possible at the prices on display. She already had the callouses—it wouldn't kill her to wait longer. Still, something to protect her hands in urban combat was a good idea…
"Why don't we see how the shirt looks," Mayako suggested. "We can decide the rest as we go depending on what you want to spend. Does that sound reasonable, miss?"
Sayaka paused, then nodded. "Very well."
"No. It was hard to move in."
Ino pouted at Sayaka as they left the shop after picking out the rest of Sayaka's clothes. The total had been substantial and she almost regretted the purchase, but, well, she was starting missions again. It would probably work out alright in the end. Mayako had expected it would be a week or so before Sayaka's clothes would be ready. Judging by Mayako's eagerness, Sayaka suspected they didn't get that much business.
"Sayaka," Ino said with indignation, "if I were a boy, I would have kicked Mayako out so I could ravish you right there. You have the whole dangerous kunoichi aesthetic down, girl."
Sayaka felt herself go red. "What?"
"You know! That thing where girls snatch boys into alleys to pin them up against walls," said Ino, wiggled her eyebrows at Sayaka. "Slicing off their clothes with a kunai so you can—"
"That's not what I meant," said Sayaka quickly. Gods, this girl. "Besides, those clothes clung. How was I supposed to move if they clung so much?"
"That's the point, you silly girl," said Ino, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. "You want boys to look at you don't you?"
"I want to stab them more," said Sayaka flatly.
"Oh you'd figure something out," said Ino dismissively. "Besides, Kiba would appreciate it right?"
"I— that's not why I buy clothes, Ino!"
"Alright alright, but still, I'm not wrong," said Ino with an authoritative wave of a finger. "We girls need to make use of our advantages in life, you know?"
Sayaka huffed. "I guess."
"Seriously! You're pretty and have great hair. You already had all the boys falling over you in the Academy without trying. You'd kill people if you put in more effort."
Sayaka scowled at her. It wasn't that Sayaka didn't like feeling feminine, sometimes, because she was a girl and not actually made of ice like the rumors claimed. She just had particular times when she wanted to feel that way, and "all the time, in public" was not one of them.
"I don't want to be that kind of ninja," Sayaka said, "and I have a duty to my clan."
Ino sighed. "Well, that's fair I guess, and I get why you want to be taken seriously as a fighting kunoichi. Still, you and Kiba are dating now right? You shouldn't be too uptight around him."
Sayaka's scowl deepened. "He's not like that."
"Isn't he?" Ino asked skeptically. "I don't want to overstep, but he's still a boy Sayaka. They don't get why a girl wants to be taken seriously that way."
Sayaka felt her temper flare and she almost said something rude to Ino. But some part of Sayaka stepped in and doused the flames, asking if Ino was really that wrong. Did Kiba understand? He probably understood better than most boys, but would that be enough?
"We'll see," said Sayaka after a moment. "I… there is a lot of time to figure things out, after all."
Ino nodded. "That's fair."
"I just… he doesn't seem like that kind of person," said Sayaka. She looked down at her feet and remembered what he had said to her that night at the festival. "I think he values family more than anything else. And the Inuzuka are…"
Ino snorted. "Yeah. There's a reason I'm not planning on getting a marriage contract with them."
"Are you looking?
"Not really. Dad says there's no reason to think about it too much, but still. I can't help it, you know?"
Sayaka sighed. "It's annoying."
"Right? At least we Yamanaka don't have a special bloodline, it's just clan secrets. It's easier for me, but still. I wish we didn't need to worry about it."
Sayaka looked down at her feet. It didn't seem fair that girls, at least clan girls, needed to spend so much time worrying about finding a good match. Someone like Ino, who seemed determined to start a family sooner rather than later, at least could focus their efforts. But Sayaka didn't have that luxury.
"It's what it is," said Sayaka. "We can't change it."
"I guess, but that's not so bad is it?" Ino replied. She grinned at Sayaka. "Babies are cute, you know?"
That was true, Sayaka supposed, but they were also very tedious things to have and to take care of. Not to mention that she also needed to worry about her brother and her clan's prestige.
Sayaka didn't say any of this out loud, but Ino read it on her face and nudged her shoulder. "Come on, cheer up Uchiha-hime. We got time! We're still young."
Sayaka harrumphed but smiled back. Ino was right. There was time. No time for complacency nor for slacking off, but time enough that Sayaka could address the problems in her life one by one and find her way.
"Well, I suppose I'm not too surprised," said Kakashi.
"Considering your history, no," said Kagami. Sayaka's counselor flipped their notes shut and crossed their legs to stare at Kakashi. "You aren't teaching Sayaka bad habits, are you?"
"I try not to," said Kakashi. "She's only picked up on the good ones so far."
"Well keep up that performance and we may yet make a well-adjusted kunoichi out of Uchiha Sayaka," said Kagami. They shook their head with a sigh. "It's a wonder any of us make it to retirement."
"Shinobi retire?" asked Kakashi, and it was only half a joke. Those who didn't die in combat and didn't go crazy usually had been in war since they were ten. Decades of training and muscle memory didn't just turn off when you "retired", and the transition often wasn't pretty. A lot of ninja chose to dabble around the edges of shinobi life until they died, if only to have something to do.
"Since Tsunade-sama instituted the mental health program, yes," Kagami said. "Not as many as we would like, but at least there aren't so many suicides."
"Really? I haven't been keeping track of the statistics."
"You were a statistic. We weren't going to tell you anything in case it made you worse."
Kakashi paused and thought over his pre-genin-team career, then nodded. "Fair enough."
"But to take this back to your original question," Kagami said, "if it were solely up to me, I would try to keep Uchiha Sayaka in the village so that I can fully assess her condition."
"Is this simply out of caution, or do you have a pressing concern?" Kakashi asked.
"Caution," said Kagami. "We don't know anything for certain, and Sayaka is very opposed to these sessions. Much like her sensei was."
"Well we can only hope that she is different and sees sense faster," said Kakashi. "Is your caution founded on anything specific?"
"No," said Kagami. They flipped through their notebook before letting it drop shut again. "There isn't enough evidence to work on right now. It's possible I'm not the right psychiatrist for her."
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "Which kind would you suggest?"
"I have inadequate data to make a suggestion."
"Really?"
"Sayaka really hates these sessions," said Kagami. They rubbed their nose. "She is focused entirely on training."
"We had a good talk the other day during shuriken practice," said Kakashi. "Do you think it would be possible to move your counseling sessions to a practice field?"
Kagami considered. "Let me ask my supervisor," they replied. "I am unsure, but I have heard that it can be helpful for some patients. In the meantime, though, you are certain I cannot persuade you to put off new missions?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "You know as well as I do that Sayaka is terrified of stagnation."
"Of course," Kagami said, and their lips thinned as they considered the options. "Are there not any other missions that can occupy your team's attention?"
"Nothing relevant to their skill level, at least, no."
"Well then we must pray to whatever deities we have faith in," said Kagami, slapping their notebook against their knee in frustration. "It would be better if we did not have our children going to battle, Hatake. Why do we persist in this?"
"Enduring peace can't be forged over the course of one or two wars, I suppose," said Kakashi with a shrug. He got up to leave with a sigh. "The Third has seen three of them by now, and what I've heard from him is that we live in times of unprecedented peace. Perhaps Sayaka will be the last Uchiha who needs to fight at such a young age."
"One can only hope," said Kagami. "Keep an eye on her, Hatake."
"I will," said Kakashi, before vanishing in a swirl of wind.
"I will admit that I liked your skirts better," said Hiroyo as she stepped back to get a good look at Sayaka. "But even so, it is a good look for you, Sayaka."
A week had passed swiftly and Sayaka had taken delivery of her new clothes just moments ago. Mayako and her mother—or was it better to say Mayako's mother and Mayako?—did excellent work, and it was a shame they didn't get more business.
Sayaka had asked for all her clothes to be dyed black. Each of the shirts had a coin-sized Uchiha fan embroidered on the back, just below the collar. The leggings had been a good choice—loose enough that she could move easily but tight enough that she could strap on and access her kunai holster without interference.
"Maybe too dark," Sayaka said as she looked at herself in the mirror, holding her arms up to test the range of motion. The shirts did ride up slightly, but it was probably inevitable and it wasn't enough to really matter.
"A little color wouldn't go amiss," Hiroyo agreed. "We'll find something that works for you during the Moon Viewing Festival."
"I'll be away on mission," said Sayaka.
"Oh, that's right," said Hiroyo, shaking her head with a sigh. "We'll go looking when you get back then. Maybe earrings? A girl your age should have a bauble or two."
Sayaka rolled her eyes. "If you say so. What time is it?"
Hiroyo glanced back at the clock. "Almost time to go get your next mission. Are you sure you're ready?"
"Yes, Hiroyo," said Sayaka, rolling her eyes again. "You've asked me twice already."
"Well of course I have," said Hiroyo. She pulled Sayaka into a hug, to Sayaka's chagrin. "I worry about you, Sayaka."
Sayaka grimaced and sighed, but allowed Hiroyo to hold her for a long while. She felt ready, but, well, it wasn't like her last mission had gone all that well. Hopefully this time would be different, but all things considered…
Well. No point overthinking it. She would just have to do her job.
Hiroyo sighed. "Go on then, Sayaka," she said and tucked a lock of hair behind Sayaka's ear. "I know you'll make me proud."
Sayaka swallowed and nodded. "Of course."
She left through the front of the apartment and walked down the stairs to the street. She nodded at her neighbors and made her way down to the main thoroughfare, where the traffic was as heavy as it always was, if not a little heavier than usual. A pain to walk through.
Well what was she, a ninja? Sayaka turned, walked a short distance down an alleyway, and jumped up to the rooftops.
It had been a long time since Team Seven had last left the village. It was halfway through the month of September already, but it felt like time had stretched on and on, without even that much training to occupy Sayaka's time. Konoha had spent that time preparing to take on Gato, and rumors abounded across the village about what had happened, what was happening, and what was going to happen. The only really reliable information was that Senfuku was settling down. It was counterintuitive, but Konoha had elected to try and make things a little quieter in the weeks that had followed the explosive ending of Team Seven's last mission. Despite the brief increase in tension, everything indicated that Gato's criminal empire was slowly allowing itself to relax, believing that they had overreacted, and that Konoha and the Land of Fire would not actually be responding with more than a slap on the wrist.
How wrong they were.
From what Kakashi had discussed during team training, Team Seven would be participating in Konoha's main offensive. The specifics of what that meant would not be revealed until they got to Senfuku, and they needed to get an official mission assignment before they left, but Konoha was dedicating tremendous resources to the problem and it was the only assignment that made any sense. It would probably be a B-rank, like their last one, and probably involve no small amount of danger.
That was good. Sayaka felt herself grin as she jumped off of a roof to land at the foot of the Hokage's tower. There were some nerves, yes, but far greater was her feeling of anticipation, and of pride. Her training maybe wasn't going so well, but Team Seven was getting another important mission, finally, and she relished the chance to do something meaningful and significant. She wanted to prove herself, not just to people close to her, but to the whole world. The Uchiha Clan was small, but it was powerful, and she would show everyone just how powerful it was.
"Two B-ranks in a row is pretty unusual for a genin team," said Sarutobi Hanako, overall operational commander for the ninja forces operating in Senfuku. "Are you sure your team is ready, Hatake-san?"
"We are," said Kakashi firmly. Team Seven was standing at parade rest in Lord Hayashi's barracks after a three-day run back to Senfuku. There had only been a few minutes to drop off their equipment in the four-bunk room they were sharing before they reported to the operational center that Konoha had set up in the lower levels of Hayashi Castle.
Sarutobi Hanako looked the team over, gaze piercing. She was a grizzled old jounin who had fought as a chunin for much of the last war, been promoted and led the fight for the last year of the conflict, survived the Kyuubi attack, and gone on to serve with distinction in the decade since. It was obvious to the genin that she and Kakashi shared a certain amount of history, but whether that was good or bad was not clear.
A moment passed where the only sound was the command staff shuffling papers and finishing the planning for the upcoming operation.
"Alright," said Hanako. "You've heard this before, Hatake, but you kids haven't so listen up. Since this is your first mission of this type, I want to be absolutely clear that teamwork and cooperation outweigh everything else for line combat teams. You'll be spending most of your time working with samurai and ashigaru, and when that's not happening you'll be coordinating strikes with fellow squads. Social ranking and clan politics are irrelevant out on the battlefield, at least as long as I'm in command of this operation. Now I don't expect it to be a problem from you guys, but if anyone else tries to pull any stunts, you come straight to me or to Lord Hayashi so that I can skin the bastard. Clear?"
Team Seven nodded. "Clear, ma'am!"
"Good. You'd think that after three damned wars fighting this way, people would get it through their skulls, but I have to give this speech every time I'm running an op," Hanako said with a scowl. "Make sure you apply the same policy to samurai and ashigaru—you don't outrank anyone out there unless I put you explicitly in their chain of command. That means that you don't get to order anyone around, and support requests get routed through your field controller. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Outstanding. I'm slotting you in as a pursuit squad. Have you been briefed yet on what that means?"
To everyone's surprise, Naruto stepped forward. "I have, ma'am."
Hanako nodded. "Explain for your team."
"A pursuit squad is a type of line combat team assigned to units of samurai and ashigaru and is responsible for screening other shinobi squads from interference as a result of enemy action, or leading attacks on incoming enemy shinobi squads," Naruto recited. "In addition, pursuit squads usually provide the majority of on-demand offensive ninja support for ashigaru and samurai forces. This contrasts with attack squads, which usually have specific tasks to fulfill in support of broader tactical and strategic objectives, as defined by the operational commander."
"Well explained," said Hanako, and Naruto stepped back into line. Sayaka couldn't restrain herself from shooting him a look of utter astonishment, and Naruto flashed back a bright smile.
"Didn't expect that, did you?" his grin said.
"It was v-very impressive," Hinata said with a glance and a smile.
"Pay attention," Kakashi sent with a glare.
Team Seven quickly focused back on Hanako, who was giving them all an unimpressed look. "Should I be concerned that this is surprising?" her raised eyebrow seemed to say.
The genin all averted their eyes, embarrassed. Kakashi restrained a sigh. They were very good, but they were still very young.
"Moving along," said Hanako. "You'll be assigned to Amber Sector, under the supervision of Hanamura Taketo. Specific tactical directives will come from him. The broader strategic situation looks like this—" Hanako gestured at a massive map of the city that had been pinned to the wall, apparently generated at amazing levels of detail to the point that individual buildings had been rendered out "—and as you can see Amber Sector is central to our line of action and has the highest concentration of enemy forces. The sector incorporates a large section of waterfront, where a large proportion of the vessels we know are pirate-affiliated are moored."
The entire waterfront had, in fact, been labeled as a free-kill zone, meaning that effectively no civilians were in the area. How Gato had achieved such level of infiltration wasn't terribly relevant, at least for now, but evidently everyone who worked in this sector of the waterfront either was directly employed by Gato or was integral to the operation of his empire. Fortunately, it appeared to be the only sector on the map where the infiltration had been so total.
"This sector is also bordered by the city's substantial red-light district, for our purposes known as Garnet Sector," said Hanako, pointing out Amber Sector's southern border. "It is expected that as the battle evolves, the pirates and ronin under Gato's command will try to rally in Amber Sector, but will revert to Garnet Sector if Amber is not available. This sector is necessarily harder to defend, and so we hope to bottle the enemy up into this area and either force a surrender or ensure that they can be easily eradicated."
Sayaka nodded to herself. That made sense. Brothels and teashops were hardly as fortifiable as actual ships or the large, stone buildings in Amber Sector.
"Your broad strategic objective, then, is to make sure that Amber Sector is denied to enemy forces. Destruction of enemy weapons and staging areas will be carried out by attack squads assigned to your sector in the opening phases of this operation. After that, Hayashi forces should be moving into your sector to fortify the area. Team Seven will be expected to provide support to the initial attack and fortification efforts, as well as help neutralize any ninja that try to interfere. Any questions?"
Team Seven had none, at least at this level of specificity. Details would be covered by their sector commander.
"Outstanding. Report in to Taketo, get your localized briefing, and then Team Seven is on standby. Don't get in a situation where you can't be ready to go in thirty seconds or less—our timetable is shakier than I'd like and we may need to scramble you out. Dismissed."
"Ma'am!"
