but in this universe they are happy
Chapter 4
The golden rays of sunset cast a soft glow over the kitchen sink. Mikoto hovers over the stove, stirring a simmering pot of curry. She ladles a bit into a small saucer and takes a sip. With a finger to her chin, she squints her eyes, then nods and adds a pinch of salt. She continues tending to the concoction when the slam of the front door reverberates in the foyer.
"Welcome home, Sasuke-chan. I'm making tonkatsu curry tonight!" A blur shoots past her periphery, and she hears the stomp, stomp, stomp, of little feet down the hall. She sighs as another slam of the door is the only reply she receives.
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Day 1
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He wakes before the crack of dawn still fuming. Before noon, the targets in their yard seem to tremble in distress from the abuse raining down on them from shuriken and kunai. He trains past his nap time, smoke lifts from the scorched grass and earth of many a fireball. He wipes the sweat from his brow and pants heavily.
More. He needs to push himself more.
He moves through his kata with ferocity and speed. Sasuke does not need her. It's better this way, he's sure of it. Her tears during taijutsu practice were a nuisance. Her whining was grating. Her incessant hovering on the rare chance she landed a hit on him was just unnecessary. Unnecessary, just like her soft voice cooing nonsense words, gingerly pressing her hand to his back for comfort.
He shakes his head and continues his kata when his mother calls out to him. Walking into the kitchen, he finds her tying up a bento with a handkerchief.
"Take this to Akane-chan, would you?"
Sasuke walks past the police station towards a small house with a white picket fence. He is greeted by a shiba inu eagerly pawing at the gate, the golden tag on her collar gleaming in the sun. As the dog barks excitedly, a young woman emerges from the front door of the house and a toddler wobbles behind her.
"Oh Hachiko, be patient, I'm opening the gate." She fiddles with the latch and lets Sasuke through.
"This is from Okaa-san," Sasuke says. He hands her the bento, then crouches to scratch Hachiko's chin.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun. And please tell your mother I so appreciate her dishes. I'm eating for two again." She chuckles and rubs her belly.
It's from this angle he sees that Akane's midsection is growing. The toddler comes from behind him, and he almost loses his balance as she wraps her arms around his neck. "Sasa!" She shouts.
"Hi, Hana." Sasuke pats her back with a small smile.
"First Hachiko, now you?" Akane pries Hana away from him and chuckles, "You two are going to make Sakura-chan jealous."
Sasuke tenses then turns around to leave. "On your way to see her?" She asks as she balances her toddler on her hip.
"…No." He says quietly, then runs off home.
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Day 2
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The next day after an arduous training session, he stops by Uchiha Senbei for some reprieve. He places some ryo on the countertop, when his Auntie Rumiko shakes her head with a smile, "No need, Sasuke-kun." She hands him even more rice crackers, "For Sakura-chan too."
Sasuke grits his teeth, "I won't be seeing her today."
His auntie frowns, "Is she alright? She hadn't stopped by yesterday. Hopefully she didn't catch a cold—she never wears a jacket, that girl!"
Sasuke takes the rice crackers and shrugs, "I wouldn't know."
His Uncle Tanaka slaps his knee and guffaws, "Don't tell me, you two had a fight? Sasuke, my boy, let me give you some advice: a happy wife is a happy life!" He shoots a grin at his wife who pinches the bridge of her nose in embarrassment.
They snap their attention up at the bells chiming from the shop door, but all they see is Sasuke's back receding in the distance as he darts away.
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Day 3
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Strolling through the village at dusk, Sasuke lets the ambient sounds of the night market wash over him. A pair of elderly men play shogi on a stoop, a gaggle of teenage girls gossip over pastries outside of a café, a mother with a baby strapped on her back haggles with a shop owner over a collection of wares. Sasuke has never felt shy, he isn't afraid of meeting new people or being in the midst of a crowd, it's just that the interaction drains him. He is content to sit on the sidelines and soak in the vibrant scenes, the hustle and bustle registering as white noise.
Which is where he finds himself, sitting at the edge of the waterway near a quaint brick home, ivy scaling up the walls. Rustling of leaves shatters his reverie, and he turns to see a figure crawling out of the second-floor window and scaling down the vines.
"Shisui?" Sasuke hisses.
The young teen cranes his neck, his eyes track to the young Uchiha sitting a mere 10 feet away by the river, "Ah, well if it isn't my baby cousin!" He leaps from the high point and lands on his feet with feline grace. Sauntering over to him, Shisui places his hands on his hips, "Long time no see, Sasuke!"
Sasuke's eyes narrow as he glances at the second-floor window his cousin exited, sheer pink curtains fluttering in the breeze, then back to his cousin, "You've been gone for months, and the first thing you do is this?" He gestures towards the brick home and towards Shisui.
"The ANBU doesn't have the blessing of soft curves and pretty eyes."
Sasuke crosses his arms in distaste and upturns his chin, "You're not supposed to talk about ANBU, Nii-san says so. You look like a mess."
Shisui plucks stray ivy from his curls, buckles his belt, and wipes at lip stick smudges along the hem of his shirt.
Sasuke scrunches his nose, "You're a disgrace to Uchiha."
"You'll understand when you're older, women are wondrous creatures." And after a pause, Shisui adds, "Some men too."
"I'll never let something like that distract me from my shinobi duties." Nothing will deter Sasuke on his shinobi journey, nothing as frivolous as the things Shisui does in his spare time- and definitely not pink haired girls who don't have the discipline to train as he does! He won't ever forgive her, not even if she begged him with those big green eyes…
"It's interesting you say that. I've heard you've managed to make a new friend, which is shocking enough." A playful tone echoes in Shisui's voice, "But to think you'd been spending time with a girl? That threw me for loop. Hm, and what was her name…Sakura-chan, was it?"
Sasuke's jaw drops as a look of confusion spreads across his face, he shoots his cousin a questioning glare.
"I have my ways of acquiring information." A mischievous glint twinkles in Shisui's eyes. Truth be told, everyone in the compound was abuzz about it. It was a little irksome that the first thing his clansmen shared with him was gossip and not a warm welcome home, but he'd agree that this tidbit of information is just too sensational to withhold. Sasuke's reticence rivals that of Fugaku's. Shisui's grin is devilish, "I thought I'd come home to see you two sparring at the training grounds, with how often she visits. Well, that's what I've heard anyway."
Sasuke harrumphs, "She's probably never coming back. I bet she's happier that she won't have to see my face ever again." He turns his body back towards the water and his gaze at his feet, swinging them back and forth as they dangle over the ledge, "And I don't care, she can do whatever she wants." A bird caws overhead, the gentle burbling of the stream accompanying the momentary silence between the two Uchiha.
"I don't think that's true," And after all his teasing, Shisui sits beside his cousin and offers him a sincere, lop-sided smile, "You only come here when you're upset, usually at Itachi. She must be pretty important to you…you hardly travel this far into the village. You must be pretty important to her too, considering how she actually wants to spend time with one of the grumpiest Uchiha in the compound."
Sasuke wants to protest but he's grown tired from his cousin's antics. And in the quiet, Shisui's words sink in.
"I'd love to meet her some time." A smirk forms on his older cousin's lips. Sasuke's expression transforms from dismay to ire.
"Never!"
"I'm curious to see the girl who's got the Uchiha Sasuke wrapped around her little finger. Maybe I'll pay her a visit—"
"You wouldn't dare."
Shisui rubs his chin in thought, "I hear she lives in a mochi shop. Across the compound gates, in the refugee district I believe…"
Sasuke scrambles to his feet and darts within earshot of the brick home, "Kawaski-san!"
Shisui pales, "Oi! Just what are you–"
"Kawasaki-san!" Sasuke bellows, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, "Shisui's been sneaking out of Aiko's window again!"
In a flash a grizzly, middle-aged shinobi flickers outside the home, face as red as an oni and his fury looking just as menacing.
A teenaged girl stumbles out the front door, still a few paces away and pleads, "Daddy, wait!"
"Shisui!" The man roars, he ignores his daughter's supplication and locks eyes with the teenaged Uchiha eliciting a gulp from him.
And with a squeak, Shisui body flickers out of sight leaving the middle-aged shinobi frantically clawing at the air. Sasuke wears a look of smug satisfaction as he leaves the scene.
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Day 4
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"I'm home!" Itachi says, placing his backpack in the foyer as he undoes his nin-sandals. Silence responds to his declaration, and at this he raises a quizzical brow. This is the first time he does not sense his brother's chakra lurking around the corner.
He enters the kitchen to find his mother chopping up some vegetables, "Where's Sasuke?"
"Out back," She says without looking up.
Itachi frowns, and after a beat of silence asks, "Is everything alright?"
Mikoto chuckles and glances at her eldest son, "I think he and Sakura-chan are having a bit of a spat."
Itachi finds Sasuke sprawled out on the engawa with his eyes closed. Kunai and shuriken pepper the floor around him, the targets in their yard nearly engulfed with the gleaming weapons. Without a sound, he approaches his little brother, then deftly pokes him with a two-fingered strike to his forehead.
"Ow!" Sasuke yelps and spins around to his older brother, "Nii-san!"
"So," Itachi ignores his glare and sits beside him, "I hear you're having girl troubles."
Sasuke scowls and crosses his arms, "I don't know what you're talking about."
They both sit in silence for a few moments as Sasuke broods in his foul mood. The electric energy of his frustration seethes until he clenches his fists and groans.
"She makes me so mad! First she wants to play! And then she complains and makes up all sorts of reasons not to come over! She used to love shinobi training, and now she hates it!" He huffs and furrows his brows.
"Otouto," Itachi places his hand gently on his shoulder, and his brother startles at the touch, "Have you ever considered what Sakura-chan actually wants?"
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The first day that Sasuke does not arrive to pick Sakura up, she's surprised if not a little relieved. The second day he does not come, she thinks good riddance. By the third day, she sits by the window, her chin propped up on her hands, watching as people come and go through the Uchiha Compound. And by the fourth day she is resolute in her stride as she heads towards the gates.
At least, until she reaches the guards. When their dark eyes veer towards her, she squeaks and high-tails it back home.
The next day, Sakura rises before dawn. She marches towards the door with determined steps. When she flings the door open she finds Sasuke a few paces from the compound gates, his shoulders square in the direction of their home.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's smile spreads on her face as the sun spreads its morning light along the quiet street. She closes the distance between them and he looks off to the side, averting his gaze.
"What…what do you want to play today?" He rolls the hem of his shirt between his fingers, and when he casts a cautious glance her way, he sees jade eyes twinkling back at him.
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The trees in Konoha seem to take their time– gold and red bleeding on to the tips of their leaves. Summer lingers like the embrace of a departing lover; a balmy breeze sweeps through the village on an October morning. And as the sun beams down, it sheds its light on a pair of conspicuous young children sneaking into a garden.
Sakura's idea of fun is plucking strawberries for herself and cherry tomatoes for Sasuke. They scurry as fast as the wind when her elderly neighbor chases them off. They munch on their bounty at the base of ancient tree trunks behind his home, napping under the canopy of low hanging branches and sun dappled forest floor.
They play with dolls in Sakura's bedroom on rainy days. Sakura operates as a doctor, using her chakra precision to sew together tears in her rag dolls, with Sasuke serving as her nurse. He wonders if she's getting back at him from their training days, but she insists that nurses deserve the same respect that doctors receive.
"Then why can't you be the nurse?" Sasuke inquires.
Sakura shrugs, "Because I'm the doctor." She says with such surety, Sasuke almost feels ridiculous for asking.
When it is Sasuke's turn to direct their dramatic play, they re-enact the Valley of the End's most epic battle in the history of Konoha. They spar by the river, and they're both able to land some respectable blows. Sakura's eyes may water, but at least her sobs occur only every other taijutsu session. While she is starting to find their hand to hand combat marginally enjoyable, there is one detail that she can't exactly abide by.
"I don't get it, why can't you be Uchiha Madara?" Sakura asks as she blocks a kick.
"Because I'm Senju Hashirama." Sasuke smirks as he winds up his fist for a punch.
Sakura finds that in all of the scenarios that Sasuke directs, she is always the villain. And any attempt at reclaiming the narrative ends up the same, he somehow finds a way to appoint her as the evildoer.
Sakura exclaims abruptly that she and Sasuke's characters are not rivals but actually forbidden lovers, just to spite him. And when he attempts to toss her into the river in retaliation, she inadvertently emanates chakra to her feet and finds herself standing on the water.
After a moment of exchanging shocked stares with mouths agape, Sasuke's words finally materialize on his tongue, "How did you do that?!"
They spend the rest of the afternoon and into the evening teaching him how to walk on water, and they return home with Sasuke drenched from head to toe while Sakura has nary a drop on her.
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There are many other Uchiha that Sakura passes by on her way to Sasuke's home. The guards now smile and tease her whenever she comes and goes at the gates. The elderly couple at Uchiha Senbei always deposit rice crackers into her hands, more than she can eat in one sitting. And she always stops to pet the shiba inu that belongs to the young family whose house is next to the police station.
The Uchiha are a beautiful, dignified clan. Particularly Sasuke, Itachi, and their parents. Sakura knows they live on the largest lot and in the largest home on the compound. They are important figures even in their community, and Sakura is in awe of the fact she gets to spend almost every day at their residence. Auntie Mikoto is lovely and kind, Itachi seems to take after her. Sasuke is more reserved but is warming up to Sakura.
But she still can't quite pin down Uchiha Fugaku's personality. He is certainly an intimidating man, yet his actions sometimes run contrary to his words.
She wakes up before Sasuke after their nap and spends her free time drawing pictures, when the sound of someone clearing their throat echoes from the hall. Sakura tip-toes towards Fugaku's office to catch a glimpse of his door propped open as he studies some case files. Sakura tip-toes quietly back into the living room. He looks awfully tired and upset. She feels a little sad for him. Then, a brilliant idea strikes her! She knows exactly what will lift his spirits!
Fugaku registers Sakura's presence without looking up and beckons her to enter. With a meek smile, she slides a folded piece of paper onto his desk. He raises his brow at her, then adjusts his reading glasses as he scans the paper before him.
"What is this?"
Sakura jumps at his gruff voice.
"That's...that's you, Uncle Fugaku." She points at a figure scrawled in crayon. It feels strange calling him uncle, she feels it'd be more appropriate to call him Uchiha-sama. But if it bothers him, he never complains about it (at least not out loud).
"And how about these people here?" Fugaku gestures.
"That's Auntie Mikoto, Itachi-nii, and Sasuke-kun." She points to each person respectively, "Oh, and that's me! We're on a picnic!" She beams, this is probably her best work yet.
"Which one am I again?"
Sakura taps a finger on her artistic rendering of Fugaku. A beat of silence passes between them, his eyes trained so intently at the paper she worries he may burn holes through it. Hold on, can the Uchiha do that? She is aware that they are known for their powerful eyes, but the details remain a great mystery. Sakura tenses at the thought. She begins to shift her feet when he finally speaks.
"That looks nothing like me."
Fugaku peers at her from over his glasses, and Sakura wilts at his response. His tone suggests he is unimpressed, but he doesn't return her drawing.
A few days later while Sakura is playing a game of hide and seek, she frantically seeks refuge in his office when she hears Sasuke draw closer. She looks around the room and decides to crouch under the desk only to find her drawing, neatly taped to the upper corner of the desktop.
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Sasuke doesn't see the point of a playdate, especially not with the Hokage's stupid son. The mothers chatter away on a park bench as the children play in the sandbox. Why did they have to be friends in the Academy? He complained to his father, begged him to put a stop to this mess, but his father and the Hokage only further encouraged potential friendship between their respective sons.
The relationship between the Police Chief and the Hokage has always been a bit tenuous, seeing as an Uchiha has always been police chief and the Hokage always had strong ties with the Senju clan. But the relationship fostered between Fugaku and the Yondaime had been the most positive of all the generations. Maybe Sasuke had always been destined to be lumped together with Naruto.
Mebuki had to tend to the mochi shop, but Mikoto insisted that they bring her daughter along with the boys. Having Sakura with him should, in theory, make this obligatory social function more bearable, but it doesn't. If anything, he can't explain why it only makes him angrier.
Tears stream down Naruto's face from the frustration of his sandcastle constantly falling apart. Sakura helps form his castle and secure the base with some smooth rocks.
"There," She beams and carefully places twigs at the top of the sand turrets. She pats the top of Naruto's head, "All better."
"Thanks Sakura-chan," He smiles and wipes his tears away, "Now my sandcastle is way better than that idiot's!" A hand shovel promptly falls and crushes the castle, demolishing their hard work.
"Whoops," Sasuke deadpans.
Naruto's jaw drops and Sakura gasps "Sasuke-kun!" Her brows furrow and she props her hands on her hips.
"It slipped out of my hand." He shrugs. Naruto growls and kicks over Sasuke's creation. Sakura slaps her palms against her cheeks in shock. The boys bicker and just when they're about to throw hands, a deadly aura interrupts them. They cautiously glance towards the source to see Naruto's mother, Kushina, and Mikoto glaring daggers at them.
Sasuke can see why they call Kushina the red-hot habanero, her crimson hair seems to swirl around her like flame tentacles. His mother is just as terrifying, and he could have sworn that she'd activated the sharingan for a swift second. The boys inhale sharply as sweat drips down their napes.
"I-I guess we can solve this another way…" Naruto gulps and stutters.
Sasuke nods, and this seems to appease the mothers. Their expressions transition from threatening to pleasant in a snap, and they continue with their breezy conversation.
The boys decide to settle their quarrel through sophisticated tests of skill. They race around the playground to see who has the edge in speed. They hang upside down on the monkey bars to test their stamina. They use wooden katanas (large twigs) to judge who is more adept at swordplay.
They appoint Sakura as referee, much to her annoyance, "Why can't I play with you guys?"
Naruto blocks a strike with his twig, then places his hand on her shoulder, "Sorry, Sakura-chan. This is between me and the idiot. We're rivals!"
Sasuke has known Naruto since their diaper clad days, and they have always been at odds simply because of their two contrasting temperaments. Naruto is adamant in his one-sided rivalry with the Uchiha. But Sasuke doesn't consider Naruto on equal grounds, and he can't fathom the day that might ever be possible. If anything, he finds himself competing with Sakura for Itachi's affections whenever they all spend time together. Though lately, he sees more of Sakura than his own brother. Strangely enough, Sasuke doesn't seem to mind it. And in the quiet of his own thoughts, sometimes he thinks it's better when he has her to himself.
His twig smacks away Naruto's hand from Sakura's shoulder. "Ow!" He rubs his hand with a pout.
"I win." Sasuke smirks.
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After their playdate, they bump into Itachi on his way home from a mission debrief. Mikoto invites Sakura to stay for dinner as the brothers wash up.
Sakura hums in excitement as she places dishes out on the table, she loves her Auntie Mikoto's cooking. But her humming halts when the Uchiha patriarch enters the room, he does not make eye contact as he approaches the dinner table.
Sakura takes her seat and holds her breath as he passes by, but all Fugaku does is nod in her direction and take his seat at the head of the table. He buries his head in a newspaper as Sakura tries not to make a peep.
He doesn't seem to dislike her per se, but she can't help the nervousness flittering inside of her when she's in his presence. Her nerves calm when the rest of the Uchiha family gather around the dinner table. A chorus of "itadakimasu" resounds in the room, and Sakura digs in.
"Are you ready for the Academy entrance exam?" Sakura freezes at the sound of Fugaku's voice.
"Yes, Otou-san." The question was apparently meant for Sasuke, and Sakura relaxes.
"And you, Sakura?" She tenses as Fugaku raises an eyebrow in her direction.
"Um…for the Ninja Academy?" She takes his unwavering stare as a yes, "I…I don't think I can be a ninja. It's too hard for me, Uncle."
Sakura isn't sure how Fugaku manages to frown even more, "I've seen you train with my sons."
The brothers' ears perk up at this and Sakura gulps.
"You're taking the exams." And with that, Sakura's decision is all but set in stone.
Author's Notes:
I had rated this fanfic as "T" because I do, eventually, want to explore more mature themes when they're actually in their teens. I have a general outline and some ideas of what will be occurring later on. I'm enjoying writing out the nuance in this universe's version of SasuSaku, but I also get impatient and write out scenes I've envisioned for the future.
I'm going to be honest, quite a few of these reviews are so thoughtful that I've even expanded on scenes and characters. Or they have me thinking about scenarios further down the line.
One of the reviewers was a Guest, and they said that they were rambling but I didn't think so and I don't mind. Everyone's comments help me barrel through writer's block! Thanks for reading and reviewing!