Omg friends I've had a timeskip, they're all 16 now. And next chapter is going to only be omakes: But super long ones! And I'm figuring romance is (probably) gonna be Shibi. Yeah, I was pretty torn between them, but Nagato is off creating social and political changes to a government and Machiko is just…hanging I guess. Nothing is set in stone, but Shibi will have a bigger role in the omake.
It's short oh well.
Sakumo Hatake didn't know know Machiko Uchiha well, but the few times they had meet had been enough to get a grasp on her personality.
Honestly, she was so open an untrained civilian could pretty much figure out what makes her tick.
Sakumo had assumed that it was simply her mask. Shinobi tended to want to be unnoticed, hiding in layers of shadow. But for some, they didn't want to be low key, didn't want to feel less then themselves. But they were no less hidden then the standerd ninja. They'd mask themselves in their sheer audacity. It could confuse people just as much, and they seemed so open, but held secrets close.
She was interesting, the girl was. She was so loud, so bright, so obvious, she demanded to be herself and detested being less then she could be
Sakumo was sure at least a good chunk was overexaggeration.
That wasn't to say she wasn't a cheerful person, however, she wasn't always genuine in her insane amounts of enthusism. She was a very bright and cheerful individual, that was real. But the in the layers of laughter and jokes, some were genuine, some were contrived.
A ninja must look underneath the underneath. The real Machiko was probably still very happy and warm, but much more subdued. It'd be the thing she'd let loose when she figured nobody was watching.
Jiraya and Sakumo's teams would often train together, racing through obstacle courses and sparring.
He'd noticed interesting details, filing them away on the girl. She'd always joke and laugh with a wide beaming grin, but when no one was really paying attention to anything, her smile would change. Instead of a full blown grin, her mouth would quirk up in a smile, but she would seem a little sad.
Still the same person, but far more subdued.
But then someone would turn, and her smile would light up and she'd instantly wipe any tiredness off her face.
A very well crafted mask, indeed. She probably could never go under the rader, couldn't act any less then who she was, so she overdid it. Flusturing everyone with her endless bantering and questions that seemed innocous but were very probing, she could draw info from the most tight lipped with her wide smile and her ability to feel as if you were her best friend right now this exact instant.
It was actually interesting, how she was so much gentler. Her warmth and genuine kindness still was there, but instead of a roaring tempest, it was a cool rain.
She poured bright enthusism into everything, waving her hand and twisting her wrists to accent her points. Even when she was tired, her eyes scanned everything.
Her eyes glittered as if she had just gotten a funny joke, but beneath her cheer was steel, forged and tempered.
That was the persona she put up, and Sakumo wholeheartedly believed she could have been an expert infiltrator, if she hadn't chosen the path of a combatant.
And why she was a combatant, he wasn't sure, as even in sparring her face would quickly twist into something angry and sad, and even in mock battles, she would never have a "killing" blow.
Sakumo didn't miss that she put more cheer and joy when someone was sad or lonely, or seemed to be serious all the time. She had drawn the Aburame boy out, with light hearted jokes and curious questions, and she had firmly integrated herself with everyone she met, adjusting to their activities and personalities, she gained skills. Even besides her closest friends, she was constantly befriending others.
It didn't escape his notice that she had become casual friends with some clan heirs.
With the Nara she would play shoji, the Yamanaka she would ask about flowers and posions. She was a regular at the Akimichis' various resturants (to be fair, their food was amazing) and she thought of innovative food ideas all the time.
With the twins in the Hyuuga clan, she wasn't close in any way, but she was always polite and cheerful.
She wasn't really friends with any of them, but she had firmly wedged herself into their memory, if only of the sheer audacity of an Uchiha doing that.
Machiko falling asleep at a Council meeting
Machiko smacking the man who sneered at Kushina and called her a demon
Machiko persuading Minato to use his Flying Thunder God to play pranks on uptight councilmen
Machiko poking Kakashi in the forehead and dryly telling him not to be a shinobi in need of therapy.
She was so very real, bright and there and totally obnoxious.
Sakumo would almost think she was afraid of being forgotten.
Either way, she had a perfect mask, an impressive feat for a sixteen year old.
Or he assumed, until he talked to Mikoto and mentioned it.
"Oh, no, she's always like that."
Okay, I'm just gonna say that Sakumo's right, kinda sorta. Most of her is genuine-she likes people, and being loud. However, that girl from the first chapter who didn't want to play ninja is still there, she's just hidden under layers and layers of…..well, Machiko.
She's not conciously trying to only befriend infulential people, but they're the stories she knows. People like Hiro are unknowns and she's wary of that. All because he was a jerk to Kushina, but you know
HIRO IS NOT BAD OKAY FRIENDS. I originally made him to be the childish jerk to Kushina, however I've decided that he apologized to them all and has made it up to them.
IMPORTANT: Please leave a review answering this: Sarutobi or Shimura. I'm working on a one shot (which will let people leave prompts and I'll write a Si/Oc or just an oc in any fandom) and the first one is going to be a girl in the warring states period who is the illegimate kid of either a Sarutobi or a Shimura, so like a cousin-ish to either Danzo or Hiruzen, . WHICH WOULD BE FUNNIER TO SEE THE CLAN FREAK OUT.