A/N: Hi! This isn't an April Fools' joke, I promise you (I've already got another plan for that in the works over on Wattpad), but rather an idea that's been brewing for a while. I was going to make Sakura the main character, but I figured it'd be more interesting to let Sasuke take the reins for once.
As per usual, this will be multi-chaptered, but I must warn you that updates will be sporadic (much like MFMN). This will have SasuSaku in it, but it'll be a slow-build rather than an already established pairing. This is also going up on AO3, so if you'd rather read it there, my profile link is on my profile.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the first chapter!
He'd woken up a full ten minutes before his alarm this morning, which relieved him immensely. He really couldn't afford to replace the next one he broke due to his strength, and he didn't want to have to rely on Izumi to wake him up anymore.
Fifteen-year-old Uchiha Sasuke sat up in the rickety single bed, scrubbing his eyes tiredly. Only five hours again. He really had to learn to pace himself.
He blinked blearily, looking around his little bedroom. The calendar above his desk read September 1, which meant it was going to get much colder soon. He sighed, shaking his head and swinging his legs around the edge of the bed to stand. He yawned, the skin across his ribs stretching almost painfully with the movement as he rose his arms above his head. He scratched his stomach absentmindedly as he walked to the closet near the door, grabbing a wide-collared navy tee and faded jeans. He exited the room and headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.
After a hot shower, dressing, brushing out his teeth and hair, and making sure the bruises from the night before were covered, he headed to the kitchen for breakfast. A note and some cash on the table made him sigh once more. Picking it up, he skimmed through its contents quickly before setting it back down to grab some cereal from the cupboard.
As usual, Izumi had left for work early. She had left him enough money for lunch that day in case he needed to buy a snack and promised to be home in time for dinner tonight... but knowing her, she'd probably miss it again.
He clunked the bowl down on the table with a little more force than intended, and the loud noise made him wince. It was tough getting used to all of the changes, but his family was tenacious to a fault; he prided his heritage on the fact that he was able to adapt so quickly. At least Itachi would have gotten used to it.
His mood soured at the thought of his older brother, but he willed away the anger and focused instead on pouring the milk on top of the mound of cereal and digging in. It was bland - since when was it not? - but he ignored it, used to it by now. He ate it quickly to soothe his rumbling stomach, and once he finished drinking the milk, stood and put everything away, dropping off the bowl and spoon into the sink where he washed them out and put them onto the drying rack.
He wiped his hands on his pant legs and grabbed his backpack from under the table, going through the homework from the night before. He'd completed it right away, of course, so that he'd have more time for his extra activities. He nodded, satisfied that everything was there, and grabbed the prepared lunch from the fridge, as well as a banana from the fruit bowl to eat while waiting for the bus. He put on some socks and tennis shoes (giving it a grimace when he realized that the heel was ripped some), grabbed the keys from the table, and left the apartment, locking up.
He jogged to the bus stop, sitting down on the bench and letting out a huff. The girl sitting there already chuckled quietly, catching his attention as he began to peel the fruit.
"You're earlier than usual," she commented with a tired smile, looking up from her book.
"Woke up ten minutes before the alarm this morning," he mumbled between bites of banana.
"Nice." She nodded approvingly. "Wish I could do that. I always wake up late."
He shrugged, and the two fell into a familiar silence as she turned her attention back to her book, locks of soft bubblegum-pink falling into her face. She didn't bother to tuck them behind her ear this morning, probably too occupied with studying.
Haruno Sakura, one of his neighbors and fellow 'nerd' who was obsessed with getting into medical school. She had a tendency to slip into the background unless she wanted to be noticed, as he'd observed of her. She was in some of his more advanced classes so far, and he deemed her pleasant enough to work with. Much better than the majority of their peers, who either wanted to pick on him for being an orphan or ignored him entirely.
He finished the banana and dropped the empty peel into the trash bin, fishing out his earbuds and iPod to pass the time faster. He cycled through the songs before he settled on Linkin Park and relaxed against the bench, shivering a little when the cold metal seeped through his jeans.
After a few minutes, he saw the bus approaching and paused the music, tucking his earbuds into his pocket and getting to his feet. He glanced over at Sakura, who furrowed her brow at the page before putting a bookmark in and shutting the book, awkwardly adjusting her backpack with one hand before hugging it protectively to her chest. She gave him a tiny smile, and he gave her a tiny nod.
The bus was only stage one of the battle. All he had to do was find a spot at the very front and ignore the bullies until he got to school.
As the vehicle pulled up to the curb and the door slowly slid open, he went in front of her and climbed the stairs, immediately frowning in distaste at the raucous shouting from the back rows. The driver hardly paid them any mind as she turned and shouted in her guttural voice to sit down and shut up.
He sidled down a few rows to a completely-empty seat and waited for her to slip in next to him. She pulled off her backpack to set it down between her legs and opened her textbook again, craning her head down to skim the pages.
In these closer quarters, his nose picked up the stink of weed coming from her sweater underneath the overwhelming stench of Axe. His face remained impassive, but when he looked away the quick darting of her eyes to and from him clued him in that she knew. He never said anything out of politeness's sake, and she never snitched when she caught him coming back late after a particularly-awful patrol.
The bus rumbled, and they pulled forward, causing her elbow to jab him in the side, right on the largest bruise. He hissed slightly in pain, and she looked up in worry, an apology already springing to her lips.
"I- I'm so sorry, I'll scoot over," she said, giving him an extra few inches of space until her left side was practically hanging off of the end of the row.
"It's fine, don't worry about it," he mumbled in reply before shoving in his earbuds again. He directed his gaze to the window as they drove, letting his thoughts wander while the music drowned everything else away.
The day was uneventful as always, save for Naruto loudly making his presence known. Sakura's presence always tended to fade away as soon as the blond approached him, which puzzled him, but he brushed it aside. As usual, the bullies tried to heckle him, as usual, he ignored them to the best of his ability. Classes were the same, lunch was the same - save for Naruto's lunch, which had an extra orange packed (probably from his guardian). Afternoon classes were all the same, even PE, which had them running laps and playing some soccer that day. As usual, some of the dickish ones tried to trip him up or kick the ball right at his face, and as usual, he dodged their attempts while still playing the usual 'clumsy, skinny Sasuke' act. He did walk away from class with a slight bloody nose from some kid jabbing him right in the ol' honker, but it wasn't anything to worry about; it cleared up by the time he settled in to his last class of the day.
When classes let out, he decided to take a quick trip to the corner store for some chicken for dinner. Even though Izumi was probably going to keep working past seven, he felt a little guilty for being so dismissive of her as of late. It wasn't her fault that Itachi had died, it was his for being so selfish.
He let out a breath through his nose, stuffing his free hand into his pocket as he carried the bag with the chicken. He could've gone to McDonald's like he had last week, but he had a feeling that Izumi was getting sick of fast food. It was the least he owed her, especially for her promotion.
He glanced up at the bright blue sky and frowned. Perhaps he could do a longer patrol before she got home. He could cook, do a little scouting, then be back before she did so they could eat together.
He nodded to himself, decided, and walked home faster. He reached the apartment building and climbed the stairs to the third floor, where he noticed Sakura's weird cousin hanging around their apartment door.
He wrinkled his nose. At least he wasn't smoking again.
The redheaded man noticed him and gave him a slow smile. "Hey, you're Sakura's friend, right?"
"Suppose so," Sasuke answered tersely, giving him a glance as he passed.
"Kinda rude to ignore your elders like that," the man called, but Sasuke didn't give him another backwards look.
That man was interesting to say the least, and downright weird at most. Every time Sasuke crossed paths with him, he was smoking on the balcony with a few of his weird friends in the gang that his brother used to be a part of. It hurt a little to see Kisame, his brother's 'partner', sitting with the group as they lounged around and drank beers. The last time he'd seen Kisame with his brother was his fourteenth birthday before eighth grade had started. The man had given him a BB gun with a few rounds of BBs, which Itachi had kept away until that damned field trip nearly a year later.
At least the gun had come in handy after all. Maybe someday if he ran into Kisame while in costume, he could thank him. Or maybe not; the man was as sharp as his teeth seemed to be, and he'd connect the dots in five seconds flat.
He unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside, kicking off his shoes and pulling off his backpack. He shut the front door behind himself and set the shopping bag on the kitchen counter, pulling out the chicken and grabbing a pair of scissors. He washed his hands and cut open the package, grabbing a cutting board to place the breasts onto. He washed his hands again and some assorted spices and seasonings for some tandoori marinade. He knew they still had some coconut milk left in the fridge, so he grabbed that and some olive oil too. He mixed the spices and liquids together, poured it into a Ziploc freezer bag with the chicken, then put it in the fridge after making sure each breast was coated.
He washed his hands again, disposed of the package, wadded up the plastic shopping bag and put it with the others under the kitchen sink, then went to get ready for patrol. He made sure to use the bathroom before going to his room. He undressed quickly before putting on a thong (as anything else would stand out against his spandex bodysuit, and he absolutely didn't want anyone poking fun at his visible shorts lines. He powdered his thighs (chafing was a sonuvabitch) and next came the deep gray bodysuit, followed by some matching rubber boots and his webshooters. To complete the outfit, he pulled on the mask fitted with blacked-out welding goggles and his other backpack, a gray-and-white one with a little spider-themed pin on the back.
He opened his window, cautious of anyone in the balconies nearby, before sticking to the wall and shutting it. He shot a web at the neighboring building and flung himself away, relishing in the cold wind biting at the mask.
This would be an easy patrol.
The whole circuit around the city was quicker than usual, with less criminals out on the prowl. There was a fire near a warehouse which he rescued a little girl from, which was unusual, but he let it go. He was nearly home when he heard raucous laughter coming from an alley.
"Finally, some action," he mumbled to himself as he hid nearby, peeking in. "What...?"
In the alleyway were a few thugs and a familiar teenage girl in a baggy black hoodie. The group had cornered her into the wall, and by the looks of things they were a few moments away from beating her into paste. Light pink hair spilled out from under the hood and he fought the urge to sigh.
"Hey, fellas," He called out instead, causing them to look over their shoulders at him in surprise, "I dunno who you're looking for, but I think you've got the wrong person."
"Spider-Man," The leader snarled under his breath as he picked up a bat. "I figured we'd be seein' ya here. Get 'im, boys."
He rolled his eyes at them, dodging out of the way of their fists and kicking them to the ground, webbing them to the concrete. He made his way from man to man until he got to the leader, who he punched into the wall. While he was still dazed, the boy webbed him there and grabbed the girl around the waist, hoisting her into his arms. She clung to his body quickly as he shot a web at a nearby building to carry them away to safety.
As soon as they were safely atop a nearby building, he let her down and she whipped out her phone, calling the police. He waited patiently for her to end the call, and when the phone was in the back pocket of her skinny jeans, he commented, "You get swindled again?"
"Yeah, fuckin' Hidan tricked me into being a messenger," she huffed, pulling the hood back to reveal the beginnings of a nasty bruise on her bony cheak. She glowered at the ground, stuffing her hands into the hoodie's pockets.
He shook his head wearily. "Does Sasori know?"
"What do you think?" She snorted dryly, sitting down with her legs dangling over the edge.
He sat with her, watching idly as a police car pulled up to the alleyway. He frowned when Izumi hopped out of the driver's seat, pulling a gun on the thugs.
A nudge from Sakura made him look over. She was smiling tiredly again, premature wrinkles and dark bags making her look older than she was.
"She still working hard?" She asked softly.
He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest as Izumi and a few other officers led the cuffed druggies into the back of the car. "She seems to think that just because she got promoted from meter maid she has to work extra." He paused for a moment before rolling his eyes. "It's so annoying."
"I'll bet," she mildly replied. "Sounds like someone else I know."
He didn't respond to that, instead following the car with his eyes until it hooked a right a few streets up and disappeared from sight.
"Was this your last stop before getting home?" She asked, a little louder this time.
"Yeah," he replied, turning to look at her as she pulled out her phone to check the time. "You need help getting back?"
"It would be nice," she agreed with a light chuckle as he got to his feet, pulling her up. "I'd rather not run into any more of those dicks and lose more than my fair share."
He nodded again, pausing so that she could wrap her arms around his neck before he hoisted her up again, taking a running start and leaping off of the side of the building. He shot another web and soared above the traffic, mindful of the girl's tight grip and her face buried into his shoulder.
As soon as he touched down onto her balcony, she peeked over his suit and gave a shudder.
"You know how much I hate it when you jump like that," she scolded lightly, giving him a little shove as she got to her unsteady feet. She leaned against the railing, giving him a pout. "One of these days I'm gonna be diagnosed with heart complications, and it'll be your fault!"
He waved it off, turning away. "Tell your cousin that you aren't gonna be Hidan's messenger girl anymore. These streets are too dangerous for someone like you."
There was a pause. The mood shifted suddenly, and when he craned his neck to glance at her she was frowning at the ground, arms wrapped around herself.
"You think I don't know that?" Her voice was quiet, yet he could hear it clearly. The hurt in her tone made him turn away again. He hadn't meant to be so brash, but he knew she would continue to forgive him as she always did.
"I have to go," he announced, hopping over the railing to the next balcony over. He gave her a polite wave as she called goodbye before slipping inside her apartment.
He crawled on the wall to his window and went inside, landing on his bed. He pulled off the mask with a deep sigh, massaging his sweaty forehead and attempting to tame his unruly hair.
He had dinner to prepare. He didn't have time to waste feeling sorry for reminding Sakura about the past.
The evening news played in the background as he cooked the chicken. The broccoli was still steaming and the noodles were being warmed in the pot. He set the table for two, poured himself a glass of orange juice, and watched the news report with a frown.
"-and coming up after this, the rise in crime among the North End," the news anchor was saying. It cut to commercial just as the front door opened, and Izumi called out a weary, "Sasuke, I'm home!"
"Welcome home," he greeted as he turned his attention back to the pan on the stove. "I made chicken and noodles."
"Oh, you're so sweet, thank you," she exclaimed as she walked in.
She smiled and held open her arms for a hug, but he ducked out of the way and opened the fridge. "Do you want orange juice or something else?"
Izumi wilted a little, but her smile was back in place as she went to sit down at the table. "Hm, I think some of that sparkling water would be nice."
He nodded and grabbed her a can. He set it down next to her plate, mumbling a 'you're welcome' when she thanked him.
The two of them served themselves some chicken, noodles, and broccoli, and once they sat down and began eating, Izumi tried to make conversation.
"You would not believe how many calls we got today," she casually mentioned after taking a sip of sparkling water. "I probably spent more time driving than I did standing outside, to be honest. There was this robbery near the North End after lunch break..."
He nodded in reply, listening intently as she talked. He didn't mind hearing about her work, although it still stung a little to be reminded of what Itachi had left behind. He noticed that she grew sad when she mentioned their favorite little cafe near the library, but brightened when the news mentioned what she'd just been talking about.
"The rise of crime on the North Side has been worrying for quite some time now," the anchor was saying, her partner just staring into the camera. "As of today, the death toll has climbed from ten to twenty-three gang-related deaths, and they're only expected to rise."
"Luckily, Spider-Man seems to be helping in his own little way," her partner chimed in with a little smile. "The vigilante was seen at the scene of a fire earlier today, where he saved a little girl from the blaze."
"That Spider-Man," Izumi remarked with a chuckle. "Seems like he's always showing up just when we need him. I dunno what that old man Moriyama is talking about; I think he's a rather charming man. You'd better be careful around him, though. He could lay you out in no time at all if he wanted."
Sasuke nodded absently, focusing on his chicken. Every time his vigilante alter-ego was mentioned, she would always swing it around to just that.
The rising crime puzzled him, though; the North End was usually more peaceful than this, being comprised of mostly bigwigs and richer folk. The gangs hardly ever tangled affairs there, mostly because of the higher police presence. Why would they suddenly be attacking that part of town?
He shook it off and took another swig of orange juice, tuning out the TV and Izumi's comments.
A/N: That's that! Pretty long for chapter 1, but I like it. Don't expect every chapter to be this long; they'll probably be mostly shorter for now.
Please tell me what you thought! I'll see you next chapter.