Hey guys, it's pulp and I'm back with another chapter of —Restart—! Our next plot point has arrived; hopefully it's exciting for you guys.

I'm so sorry for disappearing for so many months on end. I was very busy with school, and was facing a terrible creative block. If I ever do decide to completely abandon the story, I'll be sure to let my readers know.

This chapter is on the shorter side. I wanted to focus on setting the scene for Konoha and the Chūnin Exams for after the training trip, but soon, we'll be back to the main plot :)

I apologize in advance for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes I missed in editing. Mild expletive warning.

Have a nice read!

Heat.

Scorching, sickening, sweltering heat burst into existence in the cramped area, and the temperature rose quickly.

The clearing, shrouded in darkening hues of purple and pink as the sun set, was quickly illuminated with burning reds and yellows.

A foreboding fireball was blasted from Sakura's lips and slammed into a tree, engulfing it and the surrounding foliage in vengeful flames.

"Very good." murmured Itachi, watching from a safe distance. "Now do it again."

Sakura brought her fingers away from her lips, and her arms shook heavily. Her lips were chapped, charred even, from repeating this hell. "...I can't."

Itachi frowned. "You can. If you don't master all four Nature Releases, you can't go through with the mission."

At that, Sakura steeled her nerves and with extreme effort, her hands flew through hand signs and she desperately searched for a scrap of chakra from within.

Finally finding something, she brought her hand to her lips to direct the fire. Her lips stung terribly as she screamed, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A small tendril of a flame spewed from her mouth before she cleanly blacked out, collapsing onto her knees before falling bonelessly on her side.

Itachi shadow stepped over her prone form, laying a hand on her bicep to assess her chakra levels. Next to nothing.

His expression was blank, dark pupils nearly invisible among his equally black sclera as he blinked down at her. "We'll start again in three hours."

Sakura didn't have it in her to respond, puffing heavy smoke from cracked lips as she breathed heavily.

This was going to be a long night.

—Restart—

" care"

"Sakura, which do you think is better? A gigantic tornado or a powerful gust of wind?" Naruto proposed, holding up two scrolls for his teammate to inspect.

Sakura pushed the muffin she was gnawing at and the book she was flipping through to the side. "Hmm, let me see them," she asked, plucking the scrolls from Naruto's hands.

After a moment, she huffed in amusement. "Um. You kinda overplayed these."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...the "gigantic tornado" is more like a rush of upwards wind to propel you. Like a trampoline."

Naruto indignantly took a bite out of his cookie. "Hmph. Same difference."

"And this other Jutsu," Sakura started, arranging the scroll, "is you puffing wind from your mouth. It's wide-range, I'll give you that. But it's not about to knock down trees. Maybe a bush?"

"At this rate, you're gonna be a glorified leaf blower," Sasuke added absentmindedly, chewing on some jerky, before he laughed suddenly at the image. Naruto reddened.

"And what about you?" The blond accused, snatching away the texts Sasuke had stacked in his corner of the table. He rapidly scanned all of them, before shoving one particular book in the Uchiha's face. "Static Strings Technique: strings of electricity that'll give you a small shock at best. What's the point of this? You won't even feel the shock, it'll be like walking into a cobweb!"

Sakura giggled behind her hand, and when Sasuke looked at her in betrayal she stuffed her face in a book. Sasuke glowered at Naruto and ripped the book from his hand. "It's a good technique for securing the area. For example, if we found a rest stop in enemy territory, I could use this technique and spread the strings across the forest floor. If an outsider comes too close and steps on a string, we would be prepared for it," Sasuke explained, smirking. "All your Jutsu is good for is clearing villagers' lawns."

Naruto grumbled, "Not true! What if the enemy is trying to retreat! I could propel myself to catch up with them? Or what if there's dangerous gas, or someone's firing a wide-range attack? I could blow it all away-"

"-if it were strong enough."

"It's still a B-Rank!"

Eventually, their argument began to muffle to Sakura's ears, as it always did, and she flipped through the pages of yet another book.

She had already decided what her new Jutsu would be, after a lot of deliberation and overthinking. But when it came to a specialized technique, she drew a blank. There were so many options, could she really stick with one?

During the war, Sakura had learned to handle all types of different weaponry and tried her hand at several different studies, whether she wanted to or not. But it was a means to an end; she wasn't interested in anything other than fighting for her life when it came to the weapons, and the studies were just something she had to do in preparation for her mission.

'I should just choose one I've done before and move on.'

'But it'd be nice to have an interest.'

Sakura let out a long breath through her nose, absentmindedly noting her teammates' whisper-scream match was coming to a close. "Naruto," she called, and he popped his head up at her just when he left Sasuke alone to read another book.

"What, uh...what special study did you choose?"

He looked smug. "I'm going to learn how to use Chakra Flow the professional way. And I'm picking up tonfas."

At that, Sasuke perked up again. "Tonfas? Where'd you get an idea like that?"

"It was on the way to the library with Hinata, she said tonfas might be a good fit for me and that she'd sneak them out of the Hyūga Manor as a gift."

Sakura frowned. "And if she's caught?"

Naruto raised his hands in defense. "Hey, wasn't my idea, but I'm not gonna refuse free weaponry. Hinata's a ninja, too. Besides, after I try it out, if it doesn't work, that's money still in my wallet!"

Tonfas? Interesting choice, but Hinata had a point. Naruto's short-range impulsive fighting style would match them well, especially since they had both an attack and guard function. And if he could flow chakra right into the rods, it'd cut through skin like a blade.

"Do you think she could sneak out a katana, too?" Sasuke asked in a quiet voice. With the attention on him, he pretended he never said anything, eyes roving his scroll.

'A katana, huh?'

'I guess some things never change.'

"I don't know, 'ttebayo. You see, Hinata only does favors for her best friends-"

"-did she tell you that?"

"-and that's already so much to carry. Maybe next time." Naruto amended with fake sweetness.

"Why don't we just ask to train for a day at Hinata's place? That way, she won't have to sneak out and we can try all the weapons we want," suggested Sakura.

"Hn. Is she allowed to do that?"

"I mean, she is the heir. And it's formal business."

"I don't know if a spar with us could be considered formal business."

"It's either that or risk her getting punished, 'ttebayo," Naruto said. "Besides, if she refuses or if we get kicked out, at least we tried."

"We'll find her and ask later, it's worth a shot," Sakura announced. She glanced upwards, looking at the old clock on the wall. "We've been here long enough. I'm gonna head out."

Sasuke gnawed on his jerky. "Where to?" He asked through a full mouth.

"My parents', actually," Sakura replied, gathering her things. "It's been awhile since I talked with them, and I should let them know I'll be out on a mission soon.

"Tell them I said hi, 'ttebayo!"

"Sure. Well, find me when you're headed for the Hyūga Manor, and I'll meet you guys at Sasuke's later tonight." She turned to leave, before whipping her head back around. "Oh, actually, Sasuke, could you come with me?" She had nearly forgotten Ino was expecting her.

The Uchiha in question raised a curious eyebrow.

"I've saved up some cash, and I want to pick out some herbs to tip my kunai with poison. I figure you'd have some knowledge on that," she hurriedly explained. It was a half-truth, as she had been meaning to embed her weapons, but she knew more about poisonous plants than he ever would.

Naruto hummed, confused, "why would Sasuke know anything about that?"

"Ive studied up on it before, it's a clan kid thing," Sasuke explained, as he packed up his scrolls and stacked his books. He smirked at her. "But I'm more surprised our resident medic doesn't know about poisonous plants."

Sakura forced a sheepish look on her face, "I've been busy, haven't had the chance to start my studies. So, you're coming?"

"Sure."

"Well, guess I'll head out, too," Naruto said and also stood to arrange his texts.

Sakura smiled at him. "You're free to come along, if you'd like."

"No, I think I'll go looking for Hinata. Who knows, maybe we need a reservation or something at her place," he said, before sending a pointed look Sasuke's way. "Besides, I should give you two some privacy, 'ttebayo!"

The boy in question only glared, "bye, dumbass."

He can't focus.

Kakashi sighed deeply through his nose, setting his book to the side in favor of leaning further back into his chair. Usually he has no problems getting immersed in the stories of his favorite porn novels, but today he just can't get there. Worst of all, this is the last day he'd get to himself for awhile.

And he's using up his free time, still thinking of his students. He sighed again at the thought of what's plaguing him.

"I'm here for permission to go out on a week-long trip with my team for training purposes."

The Hokage's eyebrows rose. "That's right. The Chūnin Exams are fast approaching, aren't they?"

"We'll be making our way to Wind Country and back to get used to the environment that will be in Sunagakure." Kakashi paused before adding, "Though I also plan on observing a gut feeling of mine."

"What are you referring to?"

Kakashi gave Hiruzen a pointed look, and with a wave of his wrinkled hand, the room was soundproofed.

"I believe Itachi will try contacting me again when we leave the village."

Hiruzen's brows furrowed. "But you want to bring your Genin with you?"

"I don't plan on taking my eyes off them for a second, but if they can serve as bait, all the better. He may come to finish off Sasuke, or to abduct Naruto. And if he does, I'll be ready for him."

Hiruzen sat in silence for a moment before answering quietly. "...and what about your kunoichi?"

Kakashi didn't expect him to bring her up. "I don't believe Itachi has any reason to seek out Sakura. She's very proficient, yes, but the two have nothing to do with each other."

Originally, Kakashi assumed the kind hearted man was worried about bringing along children to fight a mass murderer, especially one child who wasn't even being targeted. But the more he thought about it, the less that made sense.

He was reminded of the Wave Mission from months ago. The first real threat to their lives his team faced, and the first time he suspected Sakura of foul play.

At the time, his suspicions made sense; her personality did a full one-eighty when she graduated from the academy, and her skill level shot upwards. It didn't take long for Kakashi to stop suspecting her of being a mole in Konoha, but he did always find her change of heart strange.

Without him realizing it, Sakura painted a target on her back, as well. Her abilities, similar to Tsunade's in such a young girl, were perfect to snatch up and mold into a killing machine.

And he felt bad for not considering this, because it was just like back in the earlier days when Sakura was coddled and bullied and overshadowed by the boys, to the point where she was accused and put in danger because of it.

He stood from his chair, a hand snaking through silver hair and eyes roving his flat. Bags had been packed and left near the door. His outfit was freshly laundered and folded on the dresser. His weapons, newly sharpened, were packed and laid on the coffee table.

There was nothing to do but read, and he couldn't even stay focused on that.

Kakashi spied his mask and weapons pouch, strewn across his bed. He needs a distraction.

Training Ground 44 should do the trick.

The bustle of civilians and ninja alike in Konoha's largest marketplace was certainly a sight. Children ran circles around their parents, pointing and pleading for useless trinkets. Adults haggled with store owners and tripped over all their bags. Young couples chatted animatedly while window-shopping, swinging their hands with interlocked fingers.

Sakura hummed absentmindedly while people-watching, twirling a lock of hair between callused fingers. It's been awhile since she's been able to go shopping for stuff she didn't need; maybe she'll drag Ino out with her.

At the thought of the blonde, Sakura's mood soured, if only a bit. She loves her friend, she truly does, and she'll always prefer the Ino she knows over the thirteen year-old, but the girl in her twenties was anything but trusting. And in times like these, her nagging was at an all-time high.

'Ino probably sensed us on our way to the shop.'

'Otherwise, she'd be screaming in our head to haul ass before the mission.'

Sakura stifled a smile at the imagery, and chanced a glance to her left. Sasuke, both hands in his pockets and face straight, looked at her at the same time.

"What're you smiling about?" The Uchiha asked, quickly averting his eyes. He thought she wouldn't notice him, his heart skipped a beat in surprise.

Sakura too looked away. "Nothing special. It's just been awhile since I've seen Ino."

"Oh, so that's what this is about."

"Hm?"

"Ino can't get ahold of me anymore since the Academy, and she got you to get me into the shop so she could harass me," he lightly shook his head at the idea, eyes rolling skyward. "I bet she promised to give you a discount. Oh, and it'll be free if you can get me to stick around."

This time, Sakura couldn't stifle her laugh, twisting her hair tight round her finger. "What was that?"

It earned her an eyebrow raise. "What was what?"

"'She got you to get me into the shop so she could harass me,'" Sakura deepened her voice and coupled it with a dramatic eyeroll., giggling once more. Sasuke scoffed. "When'd you become such a drama queen?"

"You mean King, and I'm not. And I don't wanna hear about drama from you," he retorted.

"Oh? Please elaborate."

As they rounded to the corner and the streets began to empty, Sasuke pulled a hand from his pocket and twirled his bangs around his finger, humming a high-pitched tune and looking through the windows, mocking her distracted gaze from earlier. Sakura burst out laughing, keeling over and gripping her stomach.

"Who the hell walks like that? How can you even focus?" Sasuke said over the sound of her cackling. Despite the widening smile on his face, he felt a burn rise to his neck as she calmed down, wiping her eyes and beamed at him.

"Thanks…thanks for the show, Drama Queen."

"King!"

Finally, the Yamanaka Flower Shop was in view, and Sakura was still breathing heavy with a hand gripping her side as Sasuke held the door open for her, familiar bells jingling over their heads.

Only a few customers were hanging around the store, and at the sound of the bells the door to the back room was clumsily opened with Ino's back to them, her hands full with an assortment of potted flowers.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop," she recited mindlessly, "What can I do for…oh." She turned around to see Sakura and Sasuke, and her practiced smile faded to a blank expression. "That was quick. Really quick. Usually you take longer with these kind of things, Forehead."

Understanding the double meaning, Sakura responded in kind. "Well I didn't want to hear you nagging me about it, Pig. Deal's a deal."

At that last part, Ino's eyebrows rose, awaiting an explanation. As Sasuke meandered off to some other corner of the store, Sakura jerked her head his way then sent Ino a pointed look. She instantly understood. Sasuke thinks he's here because Ino bribed Sakura.

"Fine, deal's a deal." But Ino glowered at her. Using Sasuke as an excuse to get free shit is a dirty move, she said without words.

Sakura merely smiled. "Show me to the poisons. The good ones, too, Pig."

Ino sucked her teeth, but couldn't hide the small smile that threatened to widen at the familiar banter as she set the pots down and opened the back door.

Ino led Sakura into the back room, with Sasuke slipping past the door just before it shut and locked behind the girls.

It looked like a normal break room. A small table in the middle with playing cards strewn across it, ajar lockers revealing hoodies and gloves, and shelves lined with watering cans and fertilizer. On the wall was a clearly old and awkward picture of Ino from before graduation, 'Employee of the Month' written below her shyly smiling face.

Sasuke smirked when he noticed it, and Ino discreetly plucked it from the wall and tucked it into her locker, a burn on her ears. "It was a graduation gift," she explained quietly.

She picked up three sets of gloves from the shelves and handed them out, tugging on her own rubber pair.

"What're these for?" Sasuke questioned, but still put on the gloves.

"Sakura said she wanted them fresh," Ino responded, tapping in the code for a secure door in the corner of the room. It swung open, and the sudden light coming from it made Sakura squint her eyes.

Upon entering, she realized it was a greenhouse, and quite a large one. The sun was beating down on the room. Plants of all shapes and sizes were arranged in stripes of dirt, sand, water, and whatever else plant life can thrive in down the length of the room. For some plants, there was even an irrigation system installed, watering them when no one was here to.

There were tables lined with various tools: shears, spray bottles, tweezers, anything else you can think of for advanced gardening. In the corner of the room was a bucket full of various compostable materials with saran wrap around the top to keep in the smell, and next to it, a rotating compost bin. And in the darkest corner of the room was a big tent, probably full of plants that couldn't handle too much sun.

With only a glance, painstakingly memorized information about each and every one of these plants flooded into Sakura's brain. She felt like a kid in a candy shop, and a similarly childish grin spread across her face.

"How much can I have?" She asked, eyes zeroing in on the tiny to-go pots and shears placed on the table.

Ino balked. "Don't be greedy, Billboard Brow! Choose a bag's full, and that's it."

"But-"

"-my mom is already gonna kill me if she finds out I'm just giving you these! Don't complain."

Sakura frowned, but soon perked up again when Ino handed her gardening tools, including a weak flashlight.

Sasuke snorted at her. Drama queen.

"Go start in the tent, and so help me God, Forehead-"

"-I won't take much, promise!"

Just as Sakura was about to dart off, Ino grabbed her by the arm. "Watch it, Turbo. Pick out a few plants here so we can get them potted for you. I don't wanna be out here all day," she grumbled.

Sakura was more than happy to agree, and was about to list off a few she saw when Sasuke stepped up. "Guess this is where I come in."

For a moment, the Haruno was genuinely confused by what he meant, but suddenly remembered how she got him to tag along in the first place.

'That's right, I said I didn't know much about poisons.'

'Bet you're regretting that now, huh?'

Luckily for Sakura, the Uchiha's studies seemed to pay off, because he did choose a few that she was eyeing. Others were textbook and she didn't particularly want them, but let them be added to the list so not to arouse suspicion. She also chose a few 'random plants' at the end to 'experiment with'.

"Well, that's that. We'll pot the ones out here while you take your pick from the tent," Ino said. She was finally going to be alone with Sasuke.

Before turning into the tent, Sakura sent Ino a warning glare.

Don't touch a hair on his head.

Ino only rolled her eyes and crouched in front of the first plant.

I won't, I promise.

For awhile, Sasuke and Ino pulled the plants out of the dirt in companionable silence, broken occasionally by the muffled clack of steel and ceramic from the tent. Eventually, Ino broke the quiet. "You've been doing well for yourself since graduation."

"Hn," Sasuke replied instinctively, before realizing he should probably throw her a bone. After all, Ino might retract her end of the deal with Sakura if she can't even get a conversation out of him. "Uh, yeah. I didn't think I'd like Team Seven, but it isn't so bad. You're doing well, too, with the…shop, and…everything."

Inwardly, Ino was surprised. Not only had he furthered the talk, awkward or not, but he mentioned his team when she asked about him.

He's different than he used to be.

…was Sakura right?

She couldn't be sure. She had to find out more. "I've been hearing about your mission to Wave around town," she said as she wrestled with a particularly stubborn root, "Not many people read newspapers anymore, so there's been a lot of gossip. Apparently Naruto was a pretty big deal in the fight against the Demon of the Mist. But I didn't hear much about you."

It was a half-truth, people were just spreading rumors, but she hadn't heard about what Naruto did during the mission. But she did know that if there was one thing that could get under Sasuke's skin, it's Naruto getting the spotlight.

Sasuke's face twisted into a scowl, one Ino was expecting, before it straightened out, lost in thought. "Now that you mention it…yeah, he did help a lot. And I don't even know what that was…" the last part was merely a murmur, absentminded and personal, before he spoke up again. "We fought the very last battle together. We wouldn't have won if we weren't both there,"

Yet another response Ino hadn't prepared for. Even with the focus on his rival, he managed to force himself into the scene without taking away from Naruto's contribution. But even so, his muttered comment bothered her. A sudden strength he couldn't explain? She had no idea Sasuke had already been exposed to the Kyuubi before he defected. But it seems he still doesn't know Naruto's a Jinchūriki.

Ino frowned. Hopefully that development wouldn't change anything.

"Well, I bet you looked sexy all beat up like that. I wish they'd added a pic in the paper," she said disinterestedly, but forced an adoration into her tone. She didn't want to arouse suspicion, and the conversation has been suspiciously normal up till now.

Sasuke, apparently bracing for this, grimaced and shifted away a bit.

Ino thought hard, searching for something to reveal his true nature. After all, Sakura wasn't here to hound him. He could tell her the truth. "Well, I guess what you do with the team doesn't really matter," she said as she rose, wiping her gloves on her apron.

The comment came from nowhere, and Sasuke turned to her as she moved to package her pots. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're so talented. You're probably the best prodigy the village has seen since, well, Uchiha Itachi! You'll probably just find some other super strong Jounin to train you who isn't bogged down with two other Genin. That's what most prodigies do, anyway." Sasuke's entire body stilled at the mention of Itachi.

Ino knew it was a hell of risk to mention the one thing that could flip Sasuke's mood like a switch, even if he hadn't told her about his brother in this timeline, but she had to wonder if he'd put two and two together yet. He's been given all kinds of reasons to separate from the team and find his own path to his goal. He's due to defect mere weeks from now. So why stay? If he really is the bastard she knows he is, he'll realize what she has.

Don't stay, because there's no reason to.

Ino felt apprehension take her as Sasuke's chakra bristled, but he didn't move. He didn't move and he didn't speak for several seconds, until he managed to calm himself down. "I…." He started.

I just realized that you're right.

I know they're holding me back.

I can find better to train me faster. I'm done here.

"I… I don't want to."

Ino's mind went blank.

"What?"

She turned to look at him incredulously, and he was still snipping at the plant, eyes to the ground. "I've thought about it. A few times, to be honest. It felt for a long while that the team was holding me back, especially Sakura and all her nagging. But…after a while, I realized that they're not holding me back, but pushing me forward."

He looked up at her, an expression she'd never seen cross Sasuke's face towards her. He was smiling. "I don't want to leave the team, because even if the progress is slower than I'd like, I like being around them. I like the person I'm turning into." He seemed to realize something, and turned his head back to the plants, a widening smile he probably thought she didn't see on his face. "I guess I've changed. But it's nice."

Ino was stunned. She was stock still as he potted his last plant and rose to his feet, gingerly placing it in the container she had laid out for him. He glanced at her, wide eyed and looking back at him.

He cocked his head towards her, eyebrows raising in acknowledgment. "You know, I used to hate hearing you talk. But I can stand the sound when you listen, too."

"Asshole," she breathed, still gaping at him.

"Consider it payback for harassing me for six years."

At that moment, Sakura emerged from the tent, a stupid grin on her face with a container of plants beneath her arm. "I should bring Sasuke around more often, Ino-Pig."

Ino finally came to her senses, glowering. "I don't mind the eye-candy, but you're not getting any more prizes," she said, handing Sakura a dark, thick sheet to shield her plants.

"Maybe don't talk about me like I'm a slab of meat?" Sasuke sighed, grabbing the container he'd been working on with Ino. "Thanks for the talk, but we've gotta drop these off now."

At that, Sakura turned to him as he coaxed her own container out of her grip and into his. "We? You're sure you wanna be there to take these to my house?"

"I've been here getting my hands dirty, so I might as well," he amended.

"…oh. Well, okay," Sakura mumbled, redness going to her face. "Um, I have to talk to Ino before we go."

"No one's stopping you," Sasuke responded, cocking an eyebrow at her.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as the girls stared at him.

"Oh. Fine, meet me outside then," he said, turning away. Making space for a free hand, he yanked the heavy door open, and it slammed shut behind him. They were alone.

"..so?" Sakura started. "Did he impress you?"

"…he surprised me," Ino admitted. "He didn't take the bait once, not even when I brought up Itachi."

"You brought up Itachi? Ino, what the hell?"

"You seem to be forgetting what's going on here. Your little boyfriend is a mass-murderer in the making," she sent Sakura a withering glare. "So sorry if I bring up his hurt feelings."

"Well, despite that, you said he didn't take the bait. So what'd he say?" Sakura was infinitely curious. She tried, but couldn't hear their hushed conversation past the rustling of the leaves inside the tent and the loud sprinkler system outside of it.

She desperately wanted to know if her time here, her time with him, had made a difference.

Ino gave her a long hard stare. "He said that he had no plans to defect."

"He did?"

"Yeah," and the blonde had to look down from the intensity of Sakura's stare, "he said that spending time with the team was changing him. And that he's progressing slowly, which he doesn't like, but he does like the new person he's becoming while around you guys."

Sakura felt her eyes sting. She had always been worried that despite the time she's spent here, the effort she's put into getting him to open up, it hasn't made a difference. That he's been allowing her to get closer to keep her quiet and hasn't changed at all from his original mindset. He's more than cunning enough to pull off such a persona.

She's been scavenging, clawing for evidence that her presence was helping him realize the person Itachi led him to believe had to be him wasn't the only way. And now…

And now finally, finally she knows all her efforts have paid off. He's changed.

"He's really changed," she whispered, eyes glassy. She cleared her throat and swiped her arm over her face. "So, um… do you still wanna kill him?"

Ino sighed. And sighed again. And she sighed hard one last time, rolling her eyes as she looked to the ground. "I…I suppose I'll let you manipulate him some more."

Sakura beamed. "Really?"

An annoyed glance was sent her way. Ino hates being proven wrong, that never changed. "…really."

Sakura barreled into her, a painfully familiar (but mostly painful) hug that sent them both crashing to the ground. "You're my best friend," the pinkette breathed, smiling into her friend's neck.

Ino grinned and hugged her back. "Shut up, Billboard Brow."

"You don't have to come inside, you know."

"I was raised better than that. I'll just say hello."

Sakura adjusted the bags in her hands, freeing up space to rummage through her pouch. Fingers brushing against her house keys, she plucked them up and jammed them into the front door.

"If that's what you really want," said Sakura. "Fair warning, they can be a bit…much."

"I've been around you and Naruto constantly the past few weeks," Sasuke sniped, "I think I can handle "a bit much.""

"Ha-ha, you ass," Sakura whispered hotly to him when she heard the lock click, and twisted the doorknob.

"Mama, Papa, I'm home!" Sakura called out to the quiet house as she kicked off her shoes. "Only for a little bit, though."

She motioned for Sasuke to follow her into the kitchen and to drop the boxes on the center island. On the stove, a pot was angrily bubbling over and dripping down the side of the counter. Sakura jerked at the sight of it.

"Ugh, Dad! You're cooking again!" She leapt for the stove to turn it off and open the lid. An eerie brown fluid simmered and popped from inside the pot, it's messy remains especially viscous and dragging down the side of the stove.

As Sasuke was opening the boxes the smell hit him, a mix between old cheesecake and ground beef, and couldn't hide his harsh gag.

"Sorry, Sakura!" Her father's loud footsteps were heard ambling down the stairs and rushing into the kitchen to check on his creation. "I found a cool new recipe and—aww, it burned. Why'd you let it burn?" He grumbled.

"You're the one who was doing god knows what upstairs instead of watching the stove," the daughter in question retorted, staring pointedly at the slime pooling onto the tile. "I thought Mama banned you from the kitchen!"

"I did." All eyes turned to Mebuki Haruno, leaning on the doorframe with a hand over her nose, glaring at Kizashi Haruno. "And I did it because you do things like this!"

"See, but this time it didn't burn into the bottom of the pot, it's totally scrape-able."

"Only because Sakura was here to turn it off," the mother grabbed a rag and waved at the smoke beginning to rise. "What the hell were you making, anyway?"

"Caramel for caramel apples. I know they're your favorite, so," Kizashi smiled innocently at his wife, "in case I screwed up, you wouldn't get mad!"

"As if that'd work," Sakura muttered with a plugged nose.

There was a beat of silence, before two sets of quizzical eyes locked onto Sasuke, who had one hand in the box and the other over his nose.

"Oh," he mumbled, staring back at them, "Hello."

"Sasuke? The famous Uchiha Sasuke, in my house? I think I might be dreaming," said Kizashi as he walked up to the boy with an outstretched hand and a wide smile, "I've heard so much about you! All good things, but I'm sure you know that."

"Dad," Sakura grumbled when Sasuke took his hand in a firm grasp, "Stop."

"Don't tell me…" Mebuki started, setting down the rag, "It's finally happened? You've got him as a boyfriend?"

"What?! Mom, no! He's just helping me drop some stuff off!"

"Oh, you should've heard the way she used to talk about you," Mebuki gushed, rounding the island to scoop Sasuke in her arms. He froze at the sudden contact, but didn't push her away. "Sasuke-kun this, Sasuke-kun that. I thought she might've exploded with how happy she was she ended up on Team Seven with you!"

It seemed it wouldn't matter how old she gets, her mother always knew which buttons to press and when. Sakura's face went red. "Okay, we're leaving now!" she said, dragging Sasuke to the door by his arm. She could hear her parents laughing as she tugged her shoes on and pushed the Uchiha to his shoes.

"Are you gonna be be home for dinner? I'm making your favorite," Mebuki rounded the corner to meet the teens on the veranda. "You've been running around the village all month, and I want to lock you down for a few hours!"

"No, sorry, ma. I have a team meeting tonight," Sakura replied, real regret laced in her words. It hurts to have to sacrifice some relationships to strengthen others. But with the Chūnin Exams on the horizon, she's been given no other choice. She pulled on her sandals in a hurry. "Freeze my portion for me, please?"

Characteristically, at this news the woman frowned. "You have another mission, don't you?"

The woman was a witch. Were all mothers so perceptive? "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"…how long?"

the sadness evident startled Sakura into a halt, turning to look at her mom.

Sasuke watched the exchange, wordless.

"just a week for training…I'll be back before you know it."

"and when are you leaving?"

"…two days' time…"

Mebuki sighed, deep and resigned. For a moment the two women held eye contact, and Sakura felt a familiar twinge in her gut. Regret. "Could you…at least sleep at home tonight?"

Sakura offered a smile that didn't meet her eyes. She hated, hated disappointing her parents. And lately, it seemed like that was all she could do. "Sure, ma. I'll be back soon."

Sakura secured the last strap on her sandal and stood to open the door. Sasuke stayed seated, head to the ground, before he too rose.

Sakura offered her mother a practiced kiss on the cheek before walking out the door. Sasuke was frozen to the entryway, before suddenly he turned. "Haruno-san."

Mebuki's attention was caught in surprise. "Y-yes?"

Sakura turned around, curiously nibbling at her.

"Hn. Don't feel obliged to accept, but Squad Seven could come to your home tomorrow night for our team meeting rather than Training Ground Seven." He blinked. "We'll be off the grid for some time, and you shouldn't have to worry about Sakura while we're gone."

The girl in question couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was offering his evening to her parents?

It seemed her mother had the same idea, brought to stutters at the sudden invitation. "Oh…well, I-I don't want to be a bother! I'm a civilian and don't know much about shinobi, but I should be used to Sakura's busy schedule by now-"

"-a busy schedule is no excuse to shut out loved ones. Civilian or not, shinobi or not, you're entitled to your family."

Suddenly, the pinkette remembered an older conversation in the Uchiha Compound.

"All right then! Tomorrow we'll go and check it out, so for now let's stop reading these boring books and eat!"

The Haruno stuffed her cold hands into her jacket pockets. "I've got to agree with Naruto on this one. I just slipped home and changed, didn't even talk to my parents. If you're willing to feed us, Sasuke-kun?" She cocked her head to the side questioningly.

"Fine." He murmured, silently closing his book and standing without looking at either of them.

"Let's eat!" the Uzumaki yelled excitedly, running out of the large room. Sakura glanced at his retreating form and smiled fondly before making to follow.

"Sakura."

Sakura turned her head to see Sasuke in front of one of the bookshelves, looking down at the text in his hands with long black bangs covering his eyes.

There was a moment of silence, before Sasuke lifted his head and slid the book into its correct place, smoothing back his bangs with his other hand with a neutral expression.

"…you should prioritize your family more than you do." Then, he just…walked out.

She knows Sasuke watches her, but she never realized how struck he must have been seeing her disregard her parents the way she did. Sakura knows why she does what she does, but in his eyes, she must seem so self-absorbed.

But even so, never in a million years would she have thought that he'd propose a team dinner, all to satiate her parents. Never would she have thought he'd care enough to do that.

A warm tingle enveloped her, watching the interaction. He cared.

"I think that's a great idea," Sakura offered. When the Uchiha turned to look at her, her face broke out into a wide, pearly smile. "I'd really, really like that."

"Oh, Uchiha-kun…you're a good kid, truly," Mebuki gushed. Sakura could feel the excitement rolling off her in waves. Her mother has always loved to entertain. "That's a wonderful idea! Oh, what should I make? Do you have any allergies? What's your favorite food? Do you know about your teammates?"

Sasuke wasn't phased by the barrage of questions, offering a polite smile in return. "None of us have allergies, and I'll eat tomatoes and onigiri. Naruto will eat anything, with a penchant for ramen."

"Sensei likes miso soup with eggplants," Sakura supplied. "But I'm not sure we'll be able to track him down for a dinner."

"Guess I'll be making a little bit of everything," the older Haruno laughed with excitement at the idea. "Sakura knows what time dinner is, so you all can come by then. And be prepared to eat! Oh, and I want to know all about your last few missions! Sakura never gets into the specifics."

"That's not true!" Sakura defended her case with an amused lilt to her voice. "In any case, we really do need to get going if our schedule's gonna be free tomorrow." This time, she grabbed Sasuke's arm and led him through the doorway. "I'll see you tonight, Mama! And don't let Dad make dessert for tomorrow!"

Her mother laughed at the thought, closing the door behind them.

The pair walked in amicable silence for awhile, out of the civilian neighborhood and back into public streets. The marketplaces were winding down as rush hour ended, and the sky was taking on an evening orange hue.

As they walked, they made their way out of the markets and into the empty parks. The waning sun shined down on the vast lake, making the small waves sparkle white as the water moved.

"We've got some time before we need to be at the Compound," Sakura mentioned offhandedly.

"Hn. Was there something else on your breakneck schedule I somehow missed?"

Sakura laughed lightly, before shaking her head. She raised her arms to the sky in a languid stretch. "…thank you." It was only a whisper, but of course he picked up on it.

"No need, it was the right thing to do. Besides, with the Chūnin Exams on the way our schedule is only going to get busier and-"

Sakura stopped walking and reached over to lightly clasp his hand in hers, dragging her thumb across his skin. Warm, and dry.

She turned to look at him, to truly look at him.

He turned his face to her, and when his eyes caught the sunlight she could make out large black pupils in a sea of dark, dark brown. She was so close she could hear his sharp intake of breath and see color dash along the pale of his skin.

She squeezed his hand, not breaking eye contact. "Thank you." And she meant it.

Because he cared. About Konoha, about the team.

About her.

"…you're welcome." His respond was barely a whisper, but she smiled when she heard it. Briefly, she thought his eyes flashed down to her lips, but it was a mere nanosecond before he focused on her eyes again.

She released his hand and started walking again, and his fingers twitched minutely. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Only thing left for me to do today is meet with Smith and Florence. Was there anything you wanted to do?" Sakura questioned him, glancing back when she noticed he was lagging behind. His eyes were glued to the ground.

"My schedule is free, too. We might as well just head to the Compound."

"Aye-aye, captain. Lead the way."

And then, she felt it.

His hand reached out for hers, and their fingers interlocked. His grip was a lot more sure than hers was, and he dragged his thumb along the back of her hand. Her skin tingled at the touch.

Sakura looked at him, and he was staring right at her. There was something in his gaze she hadn't seen before. He searched her features for something, but she didn't know what. This time, there was no mistaking the red on the apples of his cheeks. He squeezed just as she had, clasping their fingers tightly.

"I know a shortcut to get there. It'd be faster if I just drag you along." His voice was quiet yet firm, but there was an apprehension in his stare and a tremble in his wrist.

Sakura didn't want to get her hopes up. She really, truly didn't. There were so many different problems taking up space in her mind that it was easy to forget that Sasuke was just a boy and that he saw her as a girl.

She had really tried to him give him up. In two lives, she had tried.

And now he was staring at her with expectant eyes and he was holding her hand and there was a blush creeping up his neck and she felt like she was thirteen again.

A feeling she had never been able to stamp down rose to the surface. "I-I think so, too." Her voice was small, and there was a crack in her words, but she got the point across.

Lightly, she squeezed his hand back.