-5-
Complexion
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its affiliates. This is a fan made work.
Enjoy!
Monotonous, rhythmic tapping filled the air. The smell of cheap alcohol complimented the aroma of chaotic laughter and joyous music being played. Eyes fidgeted from side to side.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"You know, Anko, tapping your fingers won't hurry them up." If those words had any change on the person it was directed at, she didn't reveal anything. The tapping continued.
"I don't suppose you know where they are at?" Anko finally drawled, tracing her cup of alcohol with a short fingernail.
"Last I heard, Kurenai was with Asuma, doing Lord knows what, and Guy is on his way. At least, I hope he isn't."
Anko gave a low snort of amusement. "Guy may be… eccentric, sure, but he isn't the worst. I'd much prefer him over Yūhi or Sarutobi. At least Guy actually gets shit done as a mentor. Speaking of which, Kakashi," Anko took a quick sip of her beverage. "how is your team doing? From what I've heard, you got two talented kids and a not-so-talented kid. Am I ringing any bells?"
Not one for her childish instigations, the aforementioned soldier gave a side eye. "Naruto and Sasuke are very adept at what they do, at least in a generic sense. Sakura, while needing work, shows potential, and potential is something I can work with."
"I may have not seen a training session between these two, but I get a more 'Young Kakashi and young Obito' vibe from those two, Naruto and Sasuke. At least, with how you describe them."
He showed no visible reaction to his fallen comrade. "Unlike me and Obito, Naruto and Sasuke are very skilled at a young age. I suppose, if anything, it would be like when Itachi and Shisui Uchiha were still kids, although I'm not sure who is Itachi and who is Shisui."
Anko, if bothered at all, didn't bother to show it, and instead gave a rhythmic 'hmm' in response. She absentmindedly flagged down a waiter and ordered another drink. It grew quiet.
"I missed this."
It wasn't much of a statement at face value, merely something that most would consider a blanket phrase; one that would be used to fill the spaces between the awkward silence, but Kakashi knew better. The history between them wouldn't allow for him to interpret that statement in any other manner. It would be foolish to do so.
Of course, this conversation wasn't one that he was ready to tackle, at least, not fully sober. He wasn't sure about anything, really. Of course, in the back of his mind, he knew the true meaning of her statement.
It was unsaid, but he saw it. It was a breathless whisper on the back of her tongue, taunting him, begging him to take the bait. It raised red flags. He wasn't going to acknowledge it, no matter how his body yearned.
I miss us.
"We should drink more often."
Anko could only offer a brief scoff, and if he was any judge, it was a scoff of disrespect.
"Perhaps we should, Kakashi."
Six tomoe peered back in interest. Two glowing red eyes skittered back and forth across the mirror in front of him. A lone bead of sweat rolled down his face. All was quiet.
Inside of his bathroom, Naruto had a blue and white scroll resting curiously on his porcelain sink. It had been a 'gift' from Obito – Tobi, whichever one the man preferred, he still wasn't entirely sure.
Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze grazed his hand across the sink and put away the scroll once more. Eventually, he would read it. But not soon.
His blond hair told one story, but his chubby cheeks and weird, freakishly unnatural facial creases eluded to a different tale. He wasn't anything to be proud of, gaunt eyes and well-worn face aside.
He looked like a monster.
Obito had instructed him to not read this scroll, not until he had awoken the Mangekyo Sharingan, but he knew as much before. Reaching forward to close his bathroom cabinet, his fingertips brushed past the mirror before turning away. He had no time to dwell on his flaws.
Sasuke was less… cold? He was less something recently, and as bad as that sounded in his head, he knew it wasn't an insult, but merely an observation.
Sasuke was a good training partner, and aside from the obvious dislike and resentment he held for Sakura as both a teammate and as a person, he knew that eventually they would grow into each other and become the teammates he knew they would be.
Well, eventually. It would all take some time.
Regardless, he had time to spare, and he wasn't continuing on with the both of them without getting Sasuke to open up.
Some day he would have a family.
Brushing her hair in the bathroom mirror, Haruno would only sigh. Her attempts, albeit the same as last time, and the same as before, and the same as before… they all had failed.
Sasuke and Naruto were an enigma, to put it plainly. Mysteries to the eyes of anyone apparently not named Kakashi. Kids she didn't understand.
Maybe she was the stupid one out of them. Maybe Ino was right, and despite what her test scores and academic grades had suggested, she had no purpose beyond filling in the third spot of the required Genin team. It was unfortunate, really.
Maybe she had to try harder, research different ventures of combat besides rudimentary medical jutsu and the Academy taijutsu. Naruto had the speed of a raging fox and the muscle to match a ferocious ox, while Sasuke had the combat intelligence of a prodigy and the ninjutsu of the famed Madara Uchiha.
Well, that might be an over exaggeration, but it was apt enough.
Putting the brush down, she stepped on the weight scale at her feet. It lit up for a moment, and rested on a number.
112.
Quietly shaking her head, she began the process of getting ready for dinner, ending with washing her hands and beginning with tying her hair up.
This wasn't what she wanted with her life. Naruto had mentioned something about going to the Public library, and she could always begin the long and tedious process of researching some books about the basics of genjutsu.
It was better than letting her teammates improve by leaps and bounds without attempting her own form of powering up.
That much was certain.
For whatever reason, these sleeping pills never seemed to work as described.
Sasuke gulped two down, and with a frustrated groan, threw the bottle across his empty bathroom, knocking some dust up around the room.
The nightmares about that night were increasing violently, and the bags under his eyes began to remind him of-
No, that was enough of that. He couldn't think like that. Itachi, for all of his good qualities, few and far between, was a murderer, and not just any killer, but a kin slayer. Such ideas were masked heavily in the Uchiha clan, met with resounding and absolute total disgrace if even the idea was suggested.
Well, what did remain of the Uchiha clan, anyways.
Which wasn't much.
Regardless, him, Itachi and now Shisui were the only three alive. There wasn't much of a clan to speak of.
If only Madara Uchiha could see how low the clan had fallen after creating the world's deadliest tribes.
If only someone like Obito Uchiha, Kakashi's prized teammate, could see how self-destructive the family he once held so proudly had become.
Sighing to himself, he picked up the bottle and put it back.
Perhaps he could find some restful sleep this time around, for the first time in a long time.
That sounded nice indeed.
The Professor calmly walked into the hospital room where Shisui was being kept, leaving his guards outside.
To his very slight surprise, Shisui was doing pushups on the ground, training to regain whatever strength he had in his body, training to ready himself to be eased back into the Undergrowth of the Elemental Nations.
The man's hair was growing well past his shoulders, a sweat building up amongst his locks. His arm muscles were already beginning to form back in, and it wouldn't be long before he started on simple exercises, such as chakra control and surface walking.
Shisui paused his workout, taking a small breather to collect his thoughts, and wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Greetings, Lord Third, what brings you to my humble abode?"
Hiruzen puffed some of his tobacco pipe and set it to the side. "Good to see you too, my boy. Albeit, while I would like to meet through different circumstances, I suppose the fact I'm meeting with you at all for any form of discussion is a blessing itself. I digress, I'm just an old man rambling."
Unveiling some manilla folders and laying them carefully on the hospital bed-side tray, Hiruzen waved his hand towards a chair, offering it to the Uchiha. Coughing slightly to himself, it took a moment to rest himself on the opposite chair.
"Thank you. How are you feeling?"
Shisui gave his patented grin, although it didn't quite seem to reach his face. His eye seemed less energetic and more, well, restrained. He was definitely looking a little more pale than usual.
Shrugging his shoulders, Shisui rolled his ankles and chuckled. "Well, I will not lie to you, Lord, I have felt better in the past. I can walk normally and now I can do push-ups, which was a rather far cry from a month ago, don't you agree?"
Hiruzen could only nod. "I'm just more relieved that, bar anything coming up in the future, your physicals are completely healthy. Now, your mentals on the other hand…"
They both shared a laugh at this, two old friends reuniting.
"I'm assuming my ANBU Captaincy is not applicable anymore?"
Puffing more of his pipe after picking it back up, he raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And how are you so certain I'm not going to force you into retirement?"
Some birds chirped outside.
"Are you kidding me, old man, you really expect me to think that I'm going to be forced to retire? If anything, I'll be the one taking your throne, while I'm still recovering, I'm only 22, I got plenty of time to recover."
The only response he was met with was the brazen chuckle of the wizened leader in front of him. "You really haven't changed over the years, have you, Shisui?"
Standing up and stretching, Lord Third hobbled over to the items he brought with him.
"Are you okay with eye surgery?"
Shisui blinked- winked owlishly. "Whose eye am I taking?"
"Your mother's eyes. ANBU recovered the body the night of the slaughter and preserved the eyes in case you ever woke up. Don't worry, she was buried along with your father, fated to roam the afterlife together."
Bowing his head in gratitude, Shisui pondered the original question. It wouldn't hurt to have vision restored, and in the best-case scenario, having the Eternal Mangekyo in his arsenal would certainly help.
"I'm assuming my mom's eyes would be the closets genetic link and have the best success rate for restoring eyesight?"
"Correct. All proper tests and labs ran under Inoichi and Shikaku have came back with a 98% success rate, and we ran them a few times to have total peace of mind. Ultimately, it is your choice, but do remember what it means to have complete vision."
Shisui tapped his chin in apparent thought. "When can the surgery be done?"
Unfolding the manilla paperwork and handing it over to the Uchiha, the Professor glanced out the window. "A week's time, at the earliest. Shikaku and Inoichi heavily recommended three different physical exams before the surgery, and I'm inclined to agree."
"It's all the same to me, Lord, whatever helps me onto my feet."
They continued to discuss a few topics of interest, such as training procedures, the other Jounin and when they would be informed, and most importantly above all, the topic of one Sasuke Uchiha.
And by extension, Itachi Uchiha.
"Itachi, as you might have guessed, is currently a spy for us in the mercenary group known as the Akatsuki, a wandering sort of marauder collective. He feeds us monthly updates on their movements and plans, as we have reason to believe they will turn into a terrorist group in time."
Turning his head at this back to his leader, the other man raised an eyebrow. "Who all would I recognize in the group?"
Removing another set of paper from the manilla folder, Hiruzen flipped a page. "Kisame Hoshigaki, Kakuzu, Itachi Uchiha, Sasori of the Red Sands and Orochimaru, are the members you would have knowledge of. There are more, but they are recent shinobi and people you wouldn't be able to recognize."
Shisui whistled in a low tone. "If you are telling me that a mercenary group composed of Kisame Hoshigaki, Itachi Uchiha, Orochimaru, Sasori, and Kakuza, amongst other members, then they sound like a serious threat indeed."
He was handed a copy of the manilla folder. "Read about the other members, familiarize yourself, because rest assured, in the upcoming years, they will strike against us. The Leaf is resting on the actions of you, Shisui. You were stronger than Itachi, you used to be one of the fastest ninjas alive. The Leaf needs that Shisui again."
Shisui bowed his head in understanding. "I won't disappoint you, sir."
The morning dawn broke through the clouds without remorse, resting the rays of sunlight gently on the Earth's surface. The air was rigid, although not painfully so. Resting his eyes slightly upon reaching his seat, Sasuke waited patiently for his companions to arrive.
The past few days had been in his mind heavily. Shisui Uchiha, his brother's former best friend, was alive and- not necessarily well, but he was alive. And the fact that Shisui didn't immediately declare his hatred for Itachi was surprising itself.
Well, from how Itachi described Shisui, and whenever the older Uchiha visited the family, Shisui was a man of compassion; a man of hope and a man with a Heart of Gold. In other words, someone who embodied the Will of Fire both metaphorically and literally.
Jumping past that, it was crazy how everything was being flipped on its head. Naruto, who he never paid too much attention too, was apparently leaps and bounds ahead of him, but he couldn't complain too much, it was the same with him and Sakura.
Perhaps he was too rough on her. She wasn't amazing to be around, sure, but she was far from the worst. Better than Kiba, anyways.
He guessed it wouldn't hurt to at least try.
Speaking of which…
The trudging of ground stirred him out of his endless thoughts, wavering thoughts cast away now.
"Hi."
The sun beat against his face, causing him to frown and move to cover his face. "Sakura."
The pause was brief, but tense.
"How is your tree walking coming along, Sasuke?"
His eye twitched very slightly.
"I can reach the top of any tree."
"And water?" Sakura asked after a moment of thought.
Sasuke merely huffed in reply.
Judging by his lack of reply, Sakura had obviously hit a sore spot. It's not like she tried to hit a sore spot, she simply just wanted to know how he was doing in regards to his training. Her thoughts echoed back to failure, how she failed every time-
"Can you… give me some tips, Sakura?"
That caused her to pause in her place. "W-what?"
Sasuke, despite his efforts not to, couldn't hide the grimace and the scowl that followed. "I'm not going to ask again, Sakura. Can you give me some tips on how to walk on water?"
"Oh, r-right, sorry. What are you having trouble with the most?"
The conversation continued to ebb and flow between the two, and they didn't even notice the arrival of Naruto, who decided that breaking their conversation wasn't the best idea. He merely started to snooze under a tree on the opposite side of the training ground.
The tree above Sasuke and Sakura shook very slightly at different times, but they chalked it up to either the wild animals living around them, or the crisp breeze that would run through the yard every now and then.
Discussing the theoreticalities of chakra control was something Sasuke had no issue with, sure, but actually applying them in different, real life situations was something he had glaring issues with.
Whether that was in ninjutsu practice, ending up with punching bags or training posts absolutely scorched, or it was training himself in his clan's Sharingan.
Naruto had even more chakra and had more precise control than either him or Sakura! It frustrated him to no ends how it seemed that Naruto could just move past any form of barrier in his training.
A vow was made, whether he voiced this or not to his teammates. Itachi was one of the strongest ninjas to ever come out of Konoha, often compared to legends such as Madara, Izuna, and Kagami Uchiha. He was the ultimate powerhouse. Taijutsu. Ninjutsu. Genjutsu. Kenjutsu. Intelligence. Itachi Uchiha possessed all of it.
And one way or the other, Sasuke would become better. Become stronger. Become strong enough to protect anyone he cared about. Strong enough to live for himself.
Sakura, by this point, had taken a seat right next to Sasuke and was happily chatting away different chakra control exercises she practiced, such as balancing kunai and shuriken in her spare time, and idly walking on her bedroom walls and ceiling while focusing on a different activity or object.
She paused, briefly enough to catch her thoughts, but Sasuke noticed a curious look on her slim face. He opted to wait for her to initiate a different topic.
"Sasuke, do you think you can help me practice some genjutsu some time?"
Pausing, and thinking, Sasuke glanced over at his teammate, noting she was trying her hardest not to seem desperate, breath waiting abated.
And he nodded.
Seeing her sigh of relief, and satisfaction, gave Sasuke a small boost in confidence, and he resumed closing his eyes.
The tree shifted again, swaying back and forth, and Sakura watched as a pair of leaves drifted lazily past them.
"Hello, my cute little Genin, are we ready to train today?"
Naruto opened his eyes and slowly stood up. "Kakashi-sensei, when will we get a real mission?"
As blunt as usual, that one was.
Kakashi raised his hands in mock-surrender and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, yeah, sorry Naruto, pardon me for assuming a team that hasn't even been active for a month isn't ready for a C-rank mission."
Huffing and pouting very slightly, Naruto turned his head in something akin to a bratty behavior. Kakashi chuckled at this lightly.
"But you are in luck, as I just got back from Lord Third's office and after some smooth talking, I secured us a C-Rank mission, at the end of the week. It's not what I originally intended, please believe me, but Kurenai Yūhi was given the mission I originally wanted, outrageously." Kakashi said with a glint in his lone eye.
"Well, what's the mission, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi turned back to the other two Genin. "Well, Sakura, we all are going on an escort mission to Takigakure, to put it plainly. The original mission was an escort to Land of Waves, but like I mentioned, Yūhi already has that one locked."
Kakashi closed his book and clapped his hands together.
"Now, who's ready for endurance training?"
Yeah, I know, I know, I really do know. This was a long time coming, please believe me, and I did think about this story every day, despite what it may seem like. I know what it seems like but I will do better moving forward.
A few things I'd like to clarify, or elaborate on that may or may not raise questions:
I know I made it seem like Kurenai and Anko are more acquaintances than best buds, but I scoped through a majority of canon-material and I never really got the impression that they were best buddies. They were Jounin in the same village, sure, but never really good friends.
Kakashi, Sasuke and/or Sakurai bashing will NOT happen, so don't ask, please. I know a lot of people don't like these three, some for valid reasons and some not so valid reasons, but I don't really 'do' bashing, in that sense. They are characters, they have their goals, and motives, and issues and struggles and I'll portray them as such throughout the story.
Naruto as well. He'll struggle, he'll make mistakes, and he'll doubt himself a lot.
I really do appreciate anyone who has stuck around for this incredibly long drought, honestly, you all are amazing and I'm so grateful. Like I said, I WILL work harder on both this story and holding myself accountable.
Stay safe everyone!