A/N: The episode referenced in this chapter is Naruto Shippuden Episode 469, "A Special Mission".
The next two days, Sasuke has off. Suddenly, with no schedule to guide him, he realizes how much he desperately needs it. When he attended the Academy, he went to school almost every day and worked on homework and training until he dropped on the others. Now that he's a genin, he's had training in the morning and then missions after – he really has no idea what to do with himself.
On the first day, he tries to mend some of his clothes. The shirt he "died" in is relegated to the scrap heap, and he uses part of that to clumsily patch a hole in another shirt's sleeve. It's nothing he's particularly proud of (all the practice in the world doesn't erase the fact that no one taught him how to sew), but it'll hold up. He can wear it for training.
It takes him far too long, though, and he shoves the other shirts aside for later. He'll go for a walk, instead. Pack a lunch. 'Take it easy', like the mednin ordered.
Carefully assessing what food he has, and throwing out most of what's in his fridge, he ditches that thought. He'll have to go grocery shopping when he's out, and start stocking up on less perishable food. If he has no idea when he'll leave for a longer mission (and he didn't this past time), he can't keep a lot of perishable food onhand.
Ugh. He needs more tomatoes.
Fortunately, as he ambles down the street with hopefully enough money tucked into his pocket, he doesn't run into anyone he knows. Sasuke thinks it's probably because they're busy with training, or missions – unlike him. It's aggravating, having this time off, even if his body may "need" it. He's just contemplating whether he should grab lunch and shop or the other way around when he hears a familiar voice behind him. "Sasuke!"
The Uchiha stops, half-turning as Naruto dashes up, grinning a mile a minute. "You're out of the hospital!"
Sasuke lifts an eyebrow as the blonde halts only inches away. "I got out yesterday."
"Oh! Okay!" His smile is almost blinding. "I just went to visit you and they said you were gone already so I've been walking around and-"
Sasuke tunes him out, turning to continue his walk. "Oy, oy, Sasuke!"
Naruto grabs him, swinging an arm around his teammate's neck and half-stopping, half-choking him. The Uchiha turns a baleful glare on him. He's pretty sure the blonde doesn't even notice. "Bastard, have you eaten lunch yet?" Sasuke says nothing. Naruto seems to take that as a negative. "C'mon, then, you owe me ramen!"
His teammate isn't technically wrong, so Sasuke sighs, nodding slightly and grimacing when the blonde lets go with a crow of delight. He's not really looking forward to this… date. Hopefully even Naruto isn't stupid enough to read more into it.
Naruto leads the way, chattering a mile a minute – at a volume that makes Sasuke wince – and the Uchiha follows behind, trying to pretend he's not horribly embarrassed by this whole affair. He's not sure how well he succeeds. (Probably not at all.)
"Hey, hey, old man Teuchi!" Naruto yells as he plops down on one of Ichiraku's stools. "Sasuke's treating me to ramen!"
Sasuke carefully ignores the cook's eyes as he takes his own seat, staring down at the counter as a flush rises in his cheeks. Still, he can practically hear Teuchi's smile. "Is that so? Well, what can I get you boys today?"
"Miso ramen, miso ramen! Er, please!"
Sasuke nods, adding quietly. "I'll have the same."
"Coming right up!"
It's only when Teuchi disappears into the back of the stand that Sasuke can breathe, looking up finally. Naruto's grinning at him, fit to rival the sun. "Thanks for the ramen, Sasuke!"
Sasuke shrugs, really really not wanting to make a big deal out of this. "I had to eat anyway."
Naruto doesn't waver. "Still! Only Iruka-sensei ever treats me!"
Okay, Sasuke has to admit he's curious. He knows – everyone does – that the two are close, and yet… "Why does Iruka-sensei take you out for ramen?" He's pretty sure their old teacher hasn't done that for anyone else, no matter how kind he is.
The blonde's smile falters, and then fades. "He… he says I remind him a lot of himself, when he was younger," he says slowly, one hand moving to curl in his shirt above his stomach.
There's a lot to process about that, that he could focus on right now. The emotional upheaval that questions seems to bring, the words themselves, Naruto's whole shift in mood – but Sasuke simply smirks. "If Iruka-sensei used to be like you, I guess there's hope for you yet."
Naruto's mouth drops open, and he flaps his lips uselessly for a moment – like a fish, Sasuke notes with amusement – before he jabs his finger dramatically into Sasuke's chest. He scowls. "I'm just as good as-"
"Here you are!" announces Teuchi, dropping both of their steaming bowls of miso ramen in front of them. He smiles warmly at the two of them – probably timing his entrance just right. "Enjoy!"
Sasuke looks at Naruto. Naruto looks at Sasuke. Sasuke breaks his chopsticks apart. Naruto huffs, and gives him, reaching for his own. Teuchi watches them both, eyes sparkling, before retreating to the back.
Unfortunately, that means there's no one there to distract him from the sight of Naruto wolfing down four bowls of ramen. It's disgusting. Sasuke's more than a little horrified – and can barely finish his own. "Guess that explains your stamina," he finally manages as Naruto slurps up the noodles of his last bowl.
Naruto swallows, and squints at him. "Stami- what?"
Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Stamina. You've got a lot, which means you don't get tired very easily."
"Ohhhhh!" Naruto nods, comprehension finally dawning. "I dunno if that's cause I eat a lot of ramen." Completely missing the point – he… really hadn't been serious – Naruto frowns thoughtfully. "It might be because-" He stops.
Sasuke's brow furrows. Naruto almost looks… worried. "Naruto? Because…?"
The blonde shakes his head. "Because nothing! Nothing, nothing," he says, giving a nervous giggle. "Probably all the ramen, you're right." He nods rapidly, overcompensating. "I always knew ramen was amazing!"
Sasuke opens his mouth, and then shuts it. Naruto is the worst liar he's ever had the misfortune to meet, and he can't bring himself to care about whatever stupid thing his teammate is trying to hide. "…Sure."
He looks away from the palpable relief written on Naruto's face, pulling out his money and instead carefully counting out a stack of bills. Setting them on the counter, Sasuke hops off his stool, shoving his hands in his pockets. "That should be enough. Later."
"Uh, okay, bye, Sasuke!"
Naruto doesn't chase after him.
His second day is filled with patching clothes and grocery shopping (yes, he completely forgot after eating with Naruto) and finding a note from Kakashi telling him to meet up the next day for a mission.
And just like that, it's as if none of it ever happens.
They're chasing after Tora, painting houses, gardening, running errands, doing all sorts of meaningless D-ranks as if they hadn't tackled missing-nin, saved Kakashi, or even- even died. As if none of it had ever happened, as if they hadn't been scrambling for skills to try to defeat people far above their level, they're working on their tree climbing, drills, reaffirming their basic skills –
It's why when Naruto proposes an S-ranked "mission" to see under Kakashi's mask, and a strange photographer steps up to help, Sasuke says yes.
Anything is better than that. Anything is better than this.
They fail, of course.
Sasuke's not too surprised, but he's still disappointed. He does very much want to see Kakashi's face – but more than that, he wanted to prove that he could do something. Even with all the genin working together, they couldn't accomplish it, not because of that other genin team.
(Privately, Sasuke swears a little vengeance on them.)
…
(Privately, he'll also admit the whole adventure was kind of fun.)
All nine of them get together afterwards for dinner – Chouji's treat – and no one bothers Sasuke about the mission where he you-know-what. Sure, Ino's clingy and Sasuke very carefully maneuvers himself away from her and Sakura, but Shino and Chouji are calming balms, Kiba fights with Naruto, Hinata is still the only girl he can fully tolerate (though, he will admit, Sakura is getting better), and Shikamaru slides some barbeque onto Sasuke's plate as an apology the Uchiha recognizes.
It wasn't all bad, even if it was a bit of a waste of time.
Especially because it gives him an idea.
He waits exactly three days before he tries to break into the Ninja Registration archives again. Sasuke figures that's enough time for them to lose their suspicion – and maybe he was right. He's not sure.
But he's caught, either way.
Kakashi sighs, squatting on the rooftop next to where the ANBU had unceremoniously dropped Sasuke. "Sasuke, Sasuke, my cute little genin… what am I going to do with you?" He doesn't answer, and his teacher shakes his head. "I'm going to have to tell the Hokage about this, you know. Why would you break into the archives like that…?"
Sasuke doesn't look at his teacher. He very, very resolutely doesn't look at his teacher. Instead, he looks at the roof, picking out each individual rock and crack and little contour he can see. "I wanted to find his form."
Kakashi doesn't ask who.
They sit there in silence for a few moments – or, rather, Sasuke sits and Kakashi squats – before his teacher finally sighs. "You know you're not allowed to see it, right?" Sasuke doesn't answer. "…You know you'll get in more trouble if you try again, right?" Sasuke still doesn't answer.
His teacher tips his head back and stares up at the sky. "Why do I have such stubborn little genin?" Kakashi reaches out and bops Sasuke lightly on the head. "If I introduce you to someone who worked with Itachi, will you stop?"
Sasuke's head snaps up, and he stares at his teacher wide-eyed. "Yes," he says without even thinking about it, eyes fixated on the man.
Kakashi eye-smiles, giving him a pat this time. "Good. Be at the bridge an hour early tomorrow."
Sasuke, in fact, shows up an hour and a half early.
He can't remember the last time he was this excited about something, this eager to learn. It finally, finally feels like he's getting closer to defeating Him – something he's honestly needed since he almost gave up on his dream.
Even though he's early, there's a man waiting for him at the bridge. He looks about Kakashi's age, with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail, and as he turns slightly at Sasuke's arrival, the genin can see he wears a strangely-styled forehead protector.
The man gives him a nod, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. "You must be Sasuke." He holds out a hand, offering it up for a shake. "My name is Yamato."