Okay, this is long overdue.

"Alright class, you may leave now!" Iruka shouted. Sighs of relief were heard. As the kids were filling out of the class, Kenoshu walked over to his teacher's desk.

"You wanted to see me, Iruka-sensei?" he asked politely, his voice slightly quiet from his usual calm.

"Ah, yes. Kenoshu, I wanted to speak with you about your grades and performance in class activities," he said. Kenoshu resisted the strong urge to smile. This was it! The day he's told he's at the top of the class, just like the rest of his family.

Wait until his father hears!

"Well . . . oh, how do I say this? Kenoshu, you seem to be falling behind the others."

Falling behind . . .?

Wait until his father hears.

Kenoshu trudged through the bustling streets of Konoha. Falling behind? How?

Oh yeah.

Because Iruka-sensei said that his scores of tests and homework was staying in the low B's. And that he was still struggling in target practice.

And with his jutsu.

And everything else they were doing at the Academy.

But compared to the rest of the class, he thought his was doing okay. The majority of his peers were in the same spot he was—if not, than a little lower!

But wait!

That's just the thing. Kenoshu wasn't being compared to his classmates. Oh, no. He was being compared to the rest of his family. And that was hardly fair! Just because everyone else was extremely talented at his age that gave no reason that he was going to be on the same path right away. but the more Kenoshu thought about it . . . the more the whole situation began to bug him both of his parents had gone above and beyond the expectations. So what were the odds of both genes passing him? It was like having two blonde parents, and their child having black hair. It was too unlikely to even happen. The young ten-year-old began to have thoughts that no one his age should ever have.

He started to wonder if he was adopted.

He didn't think he even looked much like either parent—his hair was between dark and medium brown! And his eyes were pretty much the same color. Not onyx and no hint of green. He had physical traits that neither Sasuke nor Sakura possessed.

'Oh my gosh, I might seriously be adopted!'

THAT NIGHT AT DINNER . . .

"So, how was everyone's day? Missions went well?" Sakura asked as she sat down at the table. The meal she cooked up was much fancier than usual—it was the first time in months that they had everyone at home at the same time.

"I almost got to kill a guy," Hebauki stated casually. The triplets glared at him; the closest, Mikoto, slapped him on the back of the head. "What?!"

"We are eating, you idiot! We don't need to hear about it now!"

"So? If you little girlies can't handle a gory story, then eat somewhere else!" he said.

"Alright, that's enough," Sasuke intervened, his tone warning. After a moment watching the two glare at each other, he turned to his second youngest. "And you? Anything happen today at the Academy?" he asked.

Before Kenoshu could say anything that could avoid the talk with his teacher, Kidoshi started bouncing up and down in his seat. His hand was stretched to the ceiling, fingers wiggling. While the other girls snickered, Sakura gave the seven-year-old a smile.

"Yes, Kidoshi?"

"I got into a fight today!" he said proudly.

"Alright!" Hebauki shouted, both him and Roku high-fiving the little boy.

"Kidoshi, is that how you got that bruise on your arm?" his father asked.

"Yeah, but you should have seen the other guy!" he said, grinning like crazy.

'I can't fight for crap . . .'

As dinner and conversations continued, Kenoshu didn't' miss how he was completely ignored.

It was dark, and probably well past curfew. But who cared? It wasn't like anyone was going to notice the absence of a black sheep.

Kenoshu lay on his back, finding several patterns in the constellations in the summer night sky. He never would have guessed that it was so peaceful on top of the Hokage Mountain.

Yes, he considered himself the black sheep of the family. He never noticed before, but no one talked to him much. Especially his father. Did he know about the bad grades? Was he disappointed with him? Because he didn't go beyond perfect?

And also, he was nothing like the rest of his family. He was an outcast.

A black sheep.

He began wondering if he should just start living on his own out in the wilderness until he started earning money for an apartment. He already knew what plants were god to eat. He could stay up in the mountain, bathe in the stream . . .

"Kenoshu?!"

He lay completely still. Why was his dad looking for him? He'd earlier proved that he didn't care much about him. The calling was faint, and seemed like it was about a third of the way down the mountain—two-thirds up from the ground, in other words.

After a moment of silence, Kenoshu scoffed, and turned. He was now lying slightly curled on his side, his back facing the top of the stairway on the side of the mountain that led to where he was. He would have fallen asleep, but the crisp night air kept his senses sharp and alert. After a few minutes another sound reached his awaiting ears.

Footsteps.

Jogging? No . . .

No, they sounded slightly faster than a jog.

The calling continued, though Kenoshu completely ignored it. Instead, he focused his attention on his father's footfalls. He started calculating how far he was on the stairway.

He can do this, yet gets bad grades?

The sounds got louder, indicating that his father was getting closer much too soon for the boy's liking.

"Kenoshu?" In no time at all, Sasuke had reached the top of the mountain. Kenoshu remained completely stationary. The footfalls paused for a short instant, then came sprinting his way. "Kenoshu!!!"

Keeping his eyes closed, he felt a hand go to his shoulder, the other on his forehead. His body was turned over so he was on his back. Then he decided to slowly open his eyes. His father's dark figure was crouched over him in a kneeling position. In the dim light from the moon, he could see the worry in his dad's expression. He was suddenly yanked up into an uncomfortable sitting position.

"What the hell were you thinking, Kenoshu? Do you have any idea what the rest of us were thinking?" he said in anger. "We thought you were kidnapped, or hurt!" Kenoshu was slightly taken back. Did they all seriously think he was that weak?!

His temper rose to its boiling point at the mere thought. In blind anger, Kenoshu turned his entire body away from his dad, crossing his arms over his chest. "Go away," he muttered, trying to keep from yelling.

"Kenoshu—"

"Go away! Just tell the others I'm fine and leave me alone!" he shouted, failing his earlier idea. Sasuke flinched at the coldness in his son' words.

". . .Kenoshu?" He place his hand gently on his son's shoulder, though it was roughly shaken off. "Please. Please, just tell me what's wrong. The longer the silence went, though, the more accurate his guesses became. "It's me, isn't it?"

"You and everyone else."

Sasuke then heard a sniffling. His heart shattered when he saw tears rolling down Kenoshu's cheeks. "I don't like being the black sheep," he whispered.

"Kenoshu, you are not a black sheep—"

"Yes I am!" he hollered. "People look at me weird sometimes because I look nothing like you or Mom, I don't do as good as you in the Academy, everyone always ignores me, too!" he shouted.

The final reason given got to Sasuke. It shook him to the core of his being.

"So you can drop the act," Kenoshu continued, "because I already know that you don't really care."

Sasuke's head shot up, Sharingan ablaze, but he quickly shoved it back and deactivated it. "Don't care?" he whispered, though his voice was rising. "Do yo honestly think that I don't care? Kenoshu, you are my son, damnit! I love you more than my own life, and that will never change." Kenoshu gave his father a cold glare in disbelief. Sasuke sighed, continuing. "You look different because inherited looks from my father, your grandfather. You don't do as well in the Academy as you would like to because about five years ago you were diagnosed with a slight learning disorder, though it isn't too major. And I am sorry for neglecting you so much," he said, his voice cracking. "I should know better because my father neglected me when I was a boy," he said sadly.

Kenoshu's cheeks were becoming tear-stained again, and his father pulled him in for a loving embrace. And this time, Kenoshu didn't pull away. Instead, he returned it.

"I'm sorry," the young boy said.

Okay, so I know people really don't like this series much, but I really don't care! So for those of you who forgot, Kenoshu is 10 years old.

I AM TAKING PROMPTS!!!!

Has anyone else read The Awakening? It is so good! and I am writing a story about Chloe and Derek!!!!!

not chloe and simeon, because he is pansy-ish.

Anyone need a beta? I volunteer!