Chapter Five: Secret Scrolls
Disclaimer: I am not Kishimoto, and therefore do not own Naruto
Panting heavily, Sakura glared at Naruto, who grinned in response. Sakura sprinted forward and punched the blonde, who blocked and countered with an uppercut. A little slow, Sakura managed to avoid the worst of the blow, but not before it made contact. Flipping in the air, she landed heavily on her feet, crouching forward. She was only an inch away from the circle they had drawn. A look of uncertainty crossed over her features.
"C'mon Sakura-chan!" Naruto teased. "I know you're better than that! Surely you can land one ri~ght here." He grinned, pointing at a spot on his chin.
Whatever self-conscious thought the girl had melted away in favor of irritation. Growling, Sakura raced forward again, aiming for his chin. Naruto guarded, but she managed to punch him in the side with her other fist. Naruto grunted, kicking her back – which she blocked. Sasuke watched as they matched blow for blow, parrying and moving in a rhythmic dance.
Sakura finally managed to break away, and plummeted her fist toward Naruto's stomach. When Naruto went to guard, she quickly transitioned and punched him square in the jaw – causing the boy to fly backwards, right out of their training circle, marking her victory. She's getting better, Sasuke thought.
Grinning, Sakura straightened up. "Finally! About time I wiped that smirk off your face!"
Naruto rested on an elbow and wiped a little bit of blood from his mouth, which did nothing to hide the wide smile on his face. "Yeah, you got a real good one in, Sakura-chan!"
Sakura smiled further at the praise, before turning to Sasuke bashfully.
"Again." Sasuke commanded, arms crossed, eyes critical.
Naruto flopped on the grass, groaning. "You're a slave-driver! C'mon, even Kakashi doesn't make us train this hard, you know!"
Sakura groaned softly too, and took a deep breath as she looked up to the sky. Without a doubt, Sakura had improved. Even so, Sasuke wouldn't be satisfied until he knew she could handle herself against a certain white-haired snake.
"Sakura still needs more experience fighting against someone stronger than her." Sasuke told Naruto.
Turning to Sakura, Sasuke said, "Sakura, continue working on using your smaller size in your favor. You keep trying to go for brute strength, but you don't yet have the strength for that method to be effective."
Sakura deflated, and Sasuke told himself that she needed to hear the hard truth in order to make her succeed. "Again."
Naruto made a face. "That may be true, but you're leaving out the most important part, teme!"
Naruto got on his feet, and turned toward Sakura.
"Sakura, you have been doing really great, you know! That feint you did was by far the best one I've seen you do so far. Your punches are becoming really powerful, and your ability to predict my movements are almost perfect."
"Almost." Sasuke emphasized.
The two boys stared at one another, and Sakura looked back and forth between them.
"Can't we take a break?" Naruto pleaded suddenly, giving Sasuke his best puppy-dog impression.
"Us chatting was the break." Sasuke said, unaffected by Naruto's pleading blue eyes.
"Then why don't you step in the ring and fight her?" Naruto glared.
"Like I said; our differences are too great. She would probably get hurt if I were to spar with her." Sasuke stressed, annoyed he had to explain himself again.
A look of outrage crossed Naruto's features and, with a puffed chest, he stepped forward toward Sasuke. However, before he could say anything, Sakura stepped forward and put her hand on his chest.
"It's okay, Naruto." Sakura finally said, retying her long hair. "Sasuke is right; the only way I can get better is if I practice. I want to continue."
Naruto scowled before looking down, and shook his head.
"Alright, but this is the last match, you hear me?"
Sasuke could concede to that; their training session was almost over, anyway. Sasuke watched as his teammates began their spar, keeping an eye out for anything and everything that still needed to be improved.
Sasuke had learned three things since they started training together. The first: although Sakura generally fought well, she had a habit of second guessing herself – especially during their taijutsu-only spars. As a result, her reactions were either slow, or clumsy, or both. She never lasted very long once her insecurities got the best of her. When she didn't second guess herself, however, she could usually keep up with Naruto.
The second thing he learned is she had impressive willpower. This was something Sasuke kind of noticed before being sent back in time, but he never thought much of it. Now, Sasuke believed that this willpower of hers would be extremely helpful in her genjutsu.
Kakashi had taught her some basic genjutsu in addition to giving her taijutsu tips six weeks back. She was finally beginning to use some genjutsu during their afternoon ninjutsu/genjutsu training. As a result, Naruto was starting to have trouble keeping up during the spars where they used chakra. Her improvement in genjutsu also ensured that the team as a whole got better at detecting and dispelling genjutsu.
The third thing Sasuke noticed was that she still wasn't as serious as he would have liked. Although she made incredible improvements – he had no doubt she'd be able to take on Kiba or even Hinata by now – he had a feeling she was still holding something back. He didn't know what it was, and it irritated him to no end that he couldn't figure out how to fix it. Maybe it all boiled down to the first realization: she second-guessed herself too much.
Like right now, Sasuke mused. The spar had been going fairly well in her favor, and then there it was. Her eyes flashed, and her hands halted just for a moment. It was like even though she knew how to fight properly, or did things perfectly, something would happen and she would suddenly make a foolish mistake. She was better than this; he knew she was better than this.
On one hand, Sasuke had no doubt she would do well during the chūnin exams with how quickly she improved. On the other hand, he feared that strange insecurity of hers would end up getting her killed.
Well, so long as Naruto and I are there to protect her, she should be fine¸ Sasuke thought as Naruto mercilessly swept Sakura's legs from under her. Before she could recover, he kicked her out of the circle. Sakura hit the grass and cursed loudly.
"You did good, Sakura-chan." Naruto panted, helping her up.
"Not good enough." She muttered, glancing at Sasuke.
"Enough sparring for now." Sasuke said, walking towards his teammates. "Kakashi should be getting to the bridge soon."
They nodded, and as usual Sakura turned to Naruto. With a look of concentration, Sakura's hands began to glow. After a few moments, the cut on Naruto's lip began to scab over, and most of his cuts and bruises had either decreased or faded altogether. Then she turned to herself, and did the same on the slight injuries she had accrued. Her healing ninjutsu was improving rapidly, too, Sasuke noted. Just two weeks prior, she couldn't even help a shallow cut scab over. And all without a real teacher… genius medic indeed.
"I feel gross." Sakura commented when she was done, looking at the grass and sweat stains on her clothes.
"Do you want to make him wait?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sakura's eyes went wide and quickly shook her head. Sasuke understood the sentiment; the one time the trio made their teacher wait for them – by accident, mind you – he retaliated with a training session so severe they had gotten sick by the end of it.
"No, but I did come prepared." She smiled.
Making the necessary seals, Sakura created a little clay tent around her that covered every side, and in less than a minute emerged in clean clothes. She had taken her hair out of the ponytail, and began to braid it again.
"Hey, that's pretty smart." Naruto said, pulling up his jumpsuit and zipping it back in place.
"Thanks!" Sakura smiled, and then blushed a little. "I also have something for you two."
Sasuke and Naruto exchanged confused glances before facing their pink-haired teammate. She reached into her bag, and pulled out a storage scroll Sasuke had given her a few weeks prior. Sakura unsealed it, and pulled out a black thermos before handing it to Naruto. Turning to Sasuke, she handed him a couple of saran-wrapped onigiri with slightly shaky hands.
Sasuke stared at the rice balls for a moment before taking them from her hands.
"Red bean soup!" Naruto exclaimed upon opening the thermos. "Thanks Sakura-chan! How'd you know I liked this?"
"I don't know; have enough meals with someone, and you start to find out their preferences in food." Sakura shrugged as she took out a small box of dumplings for herself. "I figured we should try eating something before going on our missions, since we already worked off our breakfast with training."
Sasuke stared at the onigiri, and saw that one of them had okaka* in it; how thoughtful; I didn't even realize she knew. Sasuke gave Sakura a nod of thanks, slipped the salmon one in his pocket, and then opened the okaka filled onigiri.
Sakura gave him a brief smile before walking away.
"Let's get going." Sasuke said after his first bite, already turning to leave.
"You know, I've been wondering this for a while… but who died and made you captain?" Naruto said, walking in pace with Sasuke.
Sasuke glanced at Naruto's thermos and nearly snorted; it was already empty. Naruto handed it off to Sakura, who put it back in the storage scroll.
"Hn."
"Typical of teme." Naruto said, resting his hands behind his head.
"Is that jealousy I detect?" Sasuke mused.
"Ha, you wish! As if I have anything to be jealous of. I'm smarter, stronger, and better looking than you, you know."
"Lying doesn't suit you, Naruto. Or are you just that delusional?" Sasuke smirked, taking out his salmon filled onigiri.
"Why you-" Naruto started, hands balled into fists as he shot Sasuke a glare.
"Knock it off, you two." Sakura interjected, stepping in between them. "What do you guys think our mission today will be?"
"I hope it's escorting a princess." Naruto said.
"I highly doubt that is gonna happen, Naruto." Sakura said, rolling her eyes.
"One can hope! One can hope." Naruto chuckled. "At least we have you, Sakura-chan."
Sasuke refrained from rolling his eyes; he hated the way the blonde seemed to flirt with her at every chance. Surely there were more constructive ways Naruto could use his time.
Sakura laughed. "Smooth, Naruto. But you do know I'm never going on a date with you, right?"
"I know; you got eyes on only one person." Naruto smiled, elbowing Sakura in the side.
She responded by elbowing him back, but not as gently. They continued chatting as the trio made their way to Old River Bridge – their usual meeting spot with Kakashi. Sasuke didn't pay much attention to the conversation at hand, but relaxed against the bridge's ledge. The wind blew gently, and a smile appeared on Sasuke's face so slight, few could have noticed.
When Kakashi finally appeared, he took one look at his students, and raised his exposed eyebrow.
"You three were training before you got here, weren't you?" Kakashi asked, looking directly at Naruto.
Although Sakura's outfit change and braided hair helped her look clean and fresh, Naruto still had dirt on his face and the bottom half of his jumpsuit. At least his bruises and cuts had disappeared – including the scab on his lip that was there only minutes before. Naruto always healed faster than either him or Sakura, which Sasuke always thought was rather unfair. Well… whatever keeps him alive, Sasuke found himself thinking.
Naruto grinned sheepishly, and Kakashi sighed – though, if the glint in his eye indicated anything, Kakashi was actually pretty pleased.
"Next time, maybe change first?" Kakashi said, ruffling Naruto's hair, who squawked a protest in response.
As Kakashi led Team Seven to the ninja academy, Sasuke suppressed the bile that threatened to rise. No matter how many times he had to do it, and no matter how much time had passed, the sight of the Hokage and the elders made him sick. Whenever he saw his wrinkly face, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if he regretted it. If Sandaime Hokage ever thought about tasking Itachi with killing his whole clan. If it ever kept him up at night.
Sasuke doubted it.
"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked as they entered the academy. "You're scowling again."
He was? Rather than answering, he schooled his expression as Team Seven made their way to the Mission Assignment Desk. He thought he was getting better at hiding his disdain, but evidently not.
"He's probably just annoyed we are going to get saddled with a stupid mission, again." Naruto said when it became clear Sasuke had no plans of responding.
"Remember team: no matter the mission, no complaining." Kakashi told them as they entered the ornate room.
"Yeah, yeah." Naruto waved the silver-haired man away.
As usual, the Hokage, Iruka, and several other ninjas greeted the trio. Sasuke, not for the first time, wondered if Iruka was supposed to be teaching a class. His eyes settled on their Hokage, and Sasuke put on a mask of obedience, hiding his hatred. Sasuke had gotten quite good at pretending the sight of the old man didn't make his blood boil during his different timelines, and he could almost be in his presence with few issues. Today will be no different, Sasuke commanded himself.
"Good morning, Team Seven." Sandaime Hokage greeted. "Let's see; the missions today…"
Iruka was already glaring at Naruto, as if silently ordering Naruto to keep his mouth shut. As the Hokage began listing off the potential missions for them to complete, however, Naruto began complaining. Iruka sighed loudly, facepalming.
"Hey, hey!" Naruto exclaimed. "Gramps, haven't we proven ourselves yet? Every single mission we've been given was passed with better-than-flying colors, you know! Give us a better mission than weeding gardens and farming for rice!"
Thinking back on the various D-rank missions that Team Seven had completed, Sasuke was inclined to agree. Nearly every mission given had all been completed perfectly. They had even become famous among the rich, and were steadily becoming the desired team to hire for D-rank missions. Even last week's incident had done nothing to hinder their rising popularity.
Although training with Naruto and Sakura felt tiresome at times, it was clear that he'd made the right decision. In the past month and a half, the trio started acting as if they were a single unit, often completing their tasks with such seamless perfection that even Sasuke was surprised.
"Naruto, how many times do I need to explain to you the order of things? As genin fresh from the academy-" Sandaime Hokage started.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. We get D-rank missions. But surely there are more interesting D-rank missions? I heard that there were some important lady in town, right? Doesn't she need, you know, some extra security or something?"
Sasuke side-eyed Naruto; where had he gotten that information? And why did Naruto keep up with important visitors? Was he that desperate for a more interesting mission? Maybe he was just practicing his information gathering skills… Kakashi has been telling him for weeks now that he needed to improve the most out of us.
"Not by a twelve-year-old brat like you they don't! Naruto, why can't you just accept the missions you are given like a normal genin?" Iruka half growled, half sighed.
"Well…" Sandaime Hokage began, and Iruka shot him a surprised glare. "It might do you some good to catch a glimpse of how higher society works, for future missions and the like."
"Higher society?" Naruto asked, excited. "Is it a princess?"
Sakura looked over at Naruto with a mildly irritated and confused expression. "What is it with you and princesses? And anyway, weren't you the one who heard of them in the first place? Shouldn't you know if it's a princess or not?"
"Er, yeah." Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck. "But all I got was her name, and that she was some rich lady. I didn't hear anything more about her status."
Sakura sighed, and Kakashi said, "Naruto, I think we need to work on your information gathering skills again."
"But!" Naruto protested.
The Hokage raised his hand, causing the blonde to fall silent.
"She is not a princess, no. She is, however, an important contractor that brings a lot of revenue for Konohagakure. She's been away for some time, and requested Konoha's finest. I was thinking another team with more experience would do a better job, but Naruto you are right. Your team has… matured much quicker than I anticipated."
Naruto grinned, making a loud whooping noise as he pumped his fist up in the air. The old man looked amused, and even Iruka was trying to hide a smile.
"So, uh… what exactly is the mission?" Sakura asked, stepping forward.
"A wealthy woman named Kiyoko-san needs extra hands at her niece's birthday ball tonight. Specifically, she would like some genin to set up the party and act as servers. Are you sure you're up for the task, Naruto?"
Serving? Setting up a party? Is this really that much better than our usual D-rank mission? Sasuke couldn't help but wonder.
"C'mon! This'll be a piece of cake. We got this in the bag, you know!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Remember Naruto, this isn't a game…" Lord Hokage muttered into his pipe.
"Yeah, yeah." Naruto waved him off. "But the thing is, old man, you underestimate us."
Truthfully, Sasuke couldn't help but agree with him.
"Really, what could happen?" Naruto grinned.
Sasuke could think of a few things that could go wrong; glancing at Sakura, he could see she was having similar thoughts.
"Just remember, Naruto: don't upset your client, no matter how they act." The Hokage said, obviously referencing to the incident from last week.
It had been a babysitting job, which was annoying enough. However, they quickly discovered it had been a thinly veiled attempt at trying to get in Sasuke's good graces. Apparently, it was good for business to marry their middle daughter off to Uchiha's lone survivor, and they had very little tact or care for Sasuke's own opinion on the matter.
After about ten minutes of their snide remarks against Sakura and acting as though Sasuke was little more than a pretty decoration, Naruto blew up at them. The reason it took so long was because both Sakura and Kakashi were doing their best to keep Naruto from lashing out. However, once they started talking about how the "great misfortunes of the Uchiha clan can be beneficial for all," all bets were off and Naruto started swinging.
Needless to say, the mission did not end well.
"Hey, don't look at me. He's the one with the high and mighty attitude that pisses people off." Naruto said, sticking a thumb out to Sasuke.
"Hn." Sasuke replied.
"See?"
Iruka sighed heavily into his hands, which sounded strangely like "annoying little brat; he's lucky he's cute."
Meanwhile, the Hokage pulled out a scroll that contained their mission. It had the location, task, and reward – which was a hefty sum for a D-rank mission. The scroll also contained a complete list of the girls in attendance to the party, as well as the hired hands. Team Seven (minus Naruto) memorized each name and face before at last leaving the Hokage's presence.
Team Seven headed toward the western section of Konoha. Evidently, the party was being held in Konoha's best hotel – the only place suitable for the excessively rich. It was designed to look like a castle, towering above them in striking gold and silver colors. Trimmed in forest green, the hotel looked nothing short of the luxury destination it boasted to be.
As a child, Sasuke recalled how his mother adored the purin** the hotel's restaurant made, and would go on special anniversaries. Sasuke had thought it was far too sweet even then, but he recalled the utter delight it seemed to give his mother and older brother. Although Sasuke didn't enjoy sweets, he had a sudden desire to buy one.
"Wow," Sakura breathed, looking up.
Naruto whistled in appreciation, and began heading towards the entrance. Kakashi, however, grabbed Naruto by his collar.
"Wrong door, Naruto. We are to go through the servant's entrance."
"Oh, right." Naruto blushed, scratching his neck.
As they made their way to the back, Sasuke noted a couple of the guests staring at them from their balconies. Perhaps it was years of traveling with Orochimaru that made him paranoid, but it made him uneasy.
Sasuke looked at his teammates, and they each shared a look; looks like I'm not the only one paranoid.
Be on guard, Sasuke told them with his eyes.
Obviously, Naruto seemed to say as he rolled his eyes.
Want me to check it out? Sakura effectively asked with a tilt of her head and casting of her eyes.
Sasuke nodded; it was better to be safe than sorry.
Although Sasuke did best overall in gathering information – something he honed during his time as a missing ninja – Sakura did best when it came to learning people's true intentions. Maybe it was her big eyes, or her pink hair, but she had a tendency of putting people at ease and making herself appear unassuming. It also helped that Sakura was easily the most perceptive of the trio – not that Sasuke would ever outright admit that.
Sakura looked at Kakashi, who surely saw the whole exchange, and he gave his permission with a nod.
"Kakashi-sensei, I am so sorry!" Sakura said, sounding sincere. "I forgot something earlier. Can I retrieve it really quick?"
"Make it fast; we don't know what we are expected to do today." Kakashi said.
Sakura bowed, and disappeared. The rest of Team Seven carried on business as usual to the servant's entrance. There, several men were taking things out from four different carriages. Boxes, tubs, and… trees?
A tall, slender woman with a clipboard stood near the door, marking something off with each passing worker. When she saw Team Seven, she smiled.
"You must be the team hired to help out! My name is Mei, Kiyoko-Sama's assistant." Her eyes looked over each of them, and frowned. "I was told there would be four of you."
"Nice to meet you, Mei-san." Kakashi said politely. "One of my students is taking care of something. She'll be here shortly.
"I see." Mei said, frowning. "In any case, take whatever you can from the carriages, and into the ballroom. So long as they follow my people, they won't get lost." She said, gesturing to the carriages.
"What would you like them to do once inside the ballroom?" Kakashi asked.
Sasuke didn't miss the way Kakashi said them; with a disapproving click of his tongue, Sasuke knew their jōnin had no intention of helping.
"Once everything is put inside, then I need you to help set things up." Mei informed them before giving them a severe expression. "However, if one of you breaks even a single thing, I do expect you to pay for it."
"Of course, auntie! We will make sure to bring everything in carefully." Naruto promised.
Mei frowned again, but nodded.
Kakashi lazily supervised as the boys set to work. With the help of a dozen Naruto clones, the four carriages were empty in only forty-five minutes. Three hired men acted as guides on where to put the things, but otherwise stayed out of the genin's way. Despite their small statures, Naruto and Sasuke proved to be stronger and nimbler than any of the other hired men. Especially with the twelve clones, Sasuke found it to barely count as a workout.
Sakura joined them shortly after they managed to get everything inside, and minutely shook her head. I couldn't find anything, sorry.
Naruto clapped his hand on her shoulder. "Welcome back, Sakura-chan!" don't worry about it, his unspoken message said.
"Come on kiddos; this ballroom won't decorate itself." Kakashi said, earning him three eye-rolls and groans.
Despite his words, Kakashi set out to "supervise" once more and did very little as the trio climbed on ladders, hanging extra lights, flowers, fake vines, and leaves. They transformed the ballroom quickly, turning it into something nearly unrecognizable from before.
At some point, Mei had grabbed Kakashi's little orange book, and with a smile pointed at Sakura putting up fairy lights. Sasuke couldn't help but snort as Kakashi visibly sighed and began helping Sakura. Sakura, for her part, looked quite amused at Kakashi's disappointment.
"Excuse us, pardon us, let us through," seven Naruto clones said in unison as they carried in what appeared to be a fountain.
"Put it over there, please. Oh, carefully, carefully!" Mei said, a panicked look on her face as the clones began to set it down.
She warily inspected the fountain while the clones began working on various other things.
Looking around, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder what kind of party it was supposed to be. Flowers were everywhere, with vines now lining the walls in what he supposed was an artistic way. Fake trees were added, making the whole room resemble more of a forest with a random clearing than a ballroom, and Sasuke believed he detected a scent of pine. In other words: excessive. It reminded him a great deal of a wedding for a cousin he was forced to attend to as a small child.
"It looks like a fairy garden." Sakura commented with a smile.
Sasuke looked at his pink-haired teammate, who had a look of awe and wonder on her face as she gazed at their work. Well, Sasuke thought, although it's excessive I suppose it doesn't necessarily look bad.
"Oh, right." Sakura began, as though remembering something. "I didn't find what I forgot earlier, but… and maybe it's nothing, but-"
"I daresay!" A rather bright voice interrupted. "I should hire ninja more often. The place looks absolutely perfect, and it hasn't been three hours!"
Sasuke and Sakura turned around to a middle-aged woman looking around. Her hair was pulled up in a traditional nihongami,*** and she was wearing a simple, if elegant, red dress that reached her feet. She stood tall, with a beautiful wooden cane in her right hand. The woman looked rather out of place in the woodsy theme as she smiled at them.
"My niece will be thrilled," she said.
Sasuke noticed her smile faltered minutely once her eyes rested on him. Though the smile never left her face, the woman stared at him with an unreadable expression, tapping lightly on her cane. Sasuke frowned, and Sakura stepped forward somewhat protectively.
"You must be Kiyoko-san." Sakura said in an overly cheery voice.
"Indeed, I am," Kiyoko said. "My dear, would you mind helping your blonde friend? I fear he may have angered my assistant."
When they glanced over at Naruto, he had a sheepish expression while Mei looked like she was about ready to pull out her own hair. Kakashi was slightly crouched over with both of his hands up in the air, as though he were trying to pacify Mei. One look at her face and Sasuke knew she wasn't having any of it.
"Naruto." Sakura growled. Turning back to Kiyoko with a smile, she said, "I'll handle it."
Sakura shot Sasuke a quick glance before speed-walking in Naruto's direction.
Sasuke felt uncomfortable to have been left alone with this woman, but he made sure to keep an air of cool indifference. Kiyoko didn't say anything for a moment, continuing to stare at Sasuke in what appeared to be shock. Or is that fear? No…
Guilt.
At last, she took a breath, breaking the silence.
"You… must be Fugaku's heir." Kiyoko said slowly. "Yes, indeed, you must be. Let me take a look at you."
She drew closer, and Sasuke had to fight the impulse to lean back. She's invading my personal space. Why do they always have to invade my personal space? Sasuke thought, expecting to be eye-groped.
However, unlike virtually every other woman he was forced to interact with, the disturbing lust he'd grown accustomed to witnessing remained absent. Instead, her eyes looked as though she were searching for something, holding her breath as she did so. A micro-smile flitted on her mouth as she gazed at his hair before finally drawing back to a more comfortable distance.
"You have such delicate features, just like your mother." She said with a smile that reached her eyes. "What a pity."
Sasuke frowned at that; did this woman just insult his mother? Or was she making fun of him?
"I'm joking," she chuckled. "Obviously. Goodness, you may look like your mother but you certainly have your father's glare! Come with me, little Uchiha. Since you are already here, I have something I must show you."
What could this woman possibly have to show me? And who does she think she is, speaking to me so familiarly? Sasuke found himself feeling grateful that the mission would be over soon as the woman started to turn towards the door.
When Sasuke didn't move, she looked back at him and laughed. "'What could this woman possibly show me, and who does she think she is?' That's what you're thinking, isn't it? Oh, you certainly are Fugaku's son."
"How do you know my father? And who are you to talk about him, or to me, so familiarly?" Sasuke demanded as he crossed his arms.
Kiyoko paused for a moment, as though searching for the words she wanted to say. Finally, she settled with a slight smile.
"It would be better to show you. Follow me, please."
Reluctantly, Sasuke followed her out of the room. He glanced back at his teammates and Kakashi, who were still engaged with Mei. Sasuke could see that Sakura was smiling, and Mei looked less stressed as he left the ballroom.
"I own this hotel, you see. It runs in the family." Kiyoko was saying as they walked down a hallway, one arm raised as if to show off its splendor. "Well, my mother's family, at least. My father, however, was Konoha's Military Police chief several years ago. Long before Fugaku was chief."
Sasuke couldn't help but wonder what this woman's point was. He refrained from asking, and silently followed her to the elevator. Sasuke suppressed a grimace at the sight, already mentally preparing himself as they approached. A young man at the elevator doors bowed respectfully before pressing the button for them.
They stepped inside where a young woman stood, who also bowed and pressed another button at Kiyoko's direction. Sasuke's stomach churned as the elevator started, and he immediately wished they could have taken the stairs.
"As a child, I briefly considered becoming a ninja just so I could join the police force; unfortunately–" Kiyoko paused, a pained smile crossing her features and her hand tightened around her cane. "Unfortunately, certain things happened where it became impossible. As it were, I own several establishments, and this particular one has a special little room I like to keep certain keepsakes."
The elevator stopped at last with a ding.
"Well, room may be a bit modest." Kiyoko said as the doors opened.
They stepped out, and were met with a massive space in what Sasuke assumed to be the entire top floor. The graceful folding shoji screens that separated the second half of the room did nothing to hide the large windows beyond it.
The motion sickness he experienced already forgotten, Sasuke surveyed the room. He could see that it overlooked the Hokage Faces, the sun high in the sky. The tall walls were rimmed in gold, and the polished floor was almost reflective. However, this wasn't what impressed Sasuke; no, it was what she had stored inside the room that caught his attention.
The entire right wall, from floor to ceiling, was covered in books and scrolls. It was divided into two floors, the second floor acting as a loft with a sitting area in front of one of the sections of books.
The entire left wall was similarly divided into two open floors, except it was covered in several different kinds of weapons rather than books. Drawn to it, Sasuke found himself inspecting the various weapons closest to him. They ranged from senbon to katanas, to shuriken, and other strange weapons that Sasuke hadn't even seen before.
Kiyoko stood off to the side, watching Sasuke as he looked over the weaponries. Had Sasuke been looking at her, he would have seen the fond, regretful smile form over her face.
As it were, Sasuke was admiring a strange dagger about 20cm long, 5cm wide, and made of… Was that iron? It was very different from the kunai he was used to fighting with, and wondered where in the world it had come from. He moved on toward the giant Fūma Shuriken, resting between a sword that rivaled Zabuza's and an ancient scythe.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he examined the shuriken. Although Sasuke had found the same weapon in the Uchiha armory, it wasn't nearly as sharp, and the metal was different altogether. This shuriken's composition was similar to Orochimaru's sword, which could cut through anything.
Such a weapon should be nearly impossible to come by, and it was obvious that someone had been taking good care of it… Looking at the other weapons, it became clear that the shuriken wasn't the only one.
Who is this woman? Sasuke found himself wondering.
"Oh, how rude of me!" Kiyoko exclaimed right then. "I don't think I properly introduced myself. My name is Fūma Kiyoko. Currently, my silly little brother is in charge of the police force, but between you and me, I much preferred it when Fugaku was in the seat."
"Fūma…" Sasuke said, slowly turning over to Kiyoko.
"Indeed. As you know, the Fūma clan is distantly related to the Uchiha, which is why I have the privilege to possess all of these lovely little weapons here." She raised her arm in emphasis. "But that's not why I brought you here, little Uchiha."
"Then why did you?" he asked, wishing she would stop referring to him as 'little Uchiha.'
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, as though she were engaging in a mental debate. Finally, she closed her eyes and took a breath.
"Have you activated your sharingan yet?" Kiyoko asked when she opened her eyes.
"No." Sasuke said, hoping the bitterness wasn't as apparent as he felt.
"You will." She stated with a sort of finality that made Sasuke briefly wonder if she could see the future. "Follow me. Did you know your father was known as Wicked Eye Fugaku?"
"I did." Sasuke replied, following her to the stairs that led to the upper level of the little library the room possessed.
Sasuke hoped that she would get on with it, so he could leave her presence as quickly as possible. He didn't need another person telling him how grand a ninja his father was – he already knew that. Whenever someone told Sasuke about his father's accomplishments, he always felt incompetent in comparison. It was just another reminder that no matter how hard he tried, Sasuke would never be the son his father desired.
"Growing up, he was just Straight-faced-kun. The man rarely expressed what he was feeling, which was rather impressive given his temper!" She chuckled.
Wait, did this woman actually know my father personally? In all the stories he heard about his father, he only heard about his father's strength. His father's genius. Never once did they discuss his demeanor, his temper.
"I doubt he ever spoke of me, but we actually grew up like siblings since our fathers worked closely together. Shortly before the massacre, your father came to me with a rather odd request…"
Sasuke flinched at how flippantly Kiyoko mentioned the massacre, but he noticed how her knuckles turned white around her cane.
"Your mother didn't come into the picture until later, though." she laughed then. "But the first time he mentioned her, I knew she was the one."
My mother? For as many stories of his father Sasuke heard, there were few about his mother. In fact, he didn't even know how they met.
Hesitant, but unable to resist, Sasuke asked, "What did father say?"
"'Mikoto-san… she's a strong woman.'" Kiyoko answered, deepening her voice in a poor mimic of his father.
"That's it?" Sasuke asked, a little disappointed.
"That's it." She answered, sounding amused. "It was the first time he ever mentioned a woman, so I knew he was smitten. Of course, it took him far too long to pursue her. He thought she was too young, too powerful to be tied down to a family."
They reached the top, and Kiyoko rubbed a spot directly below her left knee before continuing. I wonder what the story is, Sasuke found himself wondering for the first time.
"You may not know this, but in those days, it was an unspoken rule that once a kunoichi from the Uchiha clan married, she would give up her shinobi duties. The Uchiha clan placed their pride in their children, and believed they needed strong women to guide them to their potential. Of course, any mother would resume her shinobi duties during wartime. They could also come out of retirement after their children were grown, though few ever did."
Sasuke did not in fact know this, but it made sense. Most of his cousins had stay-at-home mothers, and they all seemed really strong to him. Not like nii-san, of course, but strong nevertheless.
He waited for her to continue, but Kiyoko didn't say a word as she moved down the loft, her hand skimming the books and scrolls as she passed them. Sasuke almost hated himself for his curiosity, but no one had ever talked about his parents so candidly before, so he allowed himself to ask.
"What happened? How… how did he…" Sasuke paused, unsure how he wanted to ask the question.
Thankfully, Kiyoko seemed to understand what he was asking.
"Toward the end of the Second Shinobi War, there was a particularly grueling battle where your father emerged victorious." She began.
Naturally, Sasuke thought with a small smirk.
"However, while everyone was off celebrating the win, your father could not rest. I was helping with the medics at the time, and I will never forget the look on his face when he flew into my tent, asking if I'd seen Mikoto-san. He was bloodied and bruised and his arm had been badly broken, but all he cared about… was her."
Kiyoko looked back at Sasuke then just with an amused smile, pausing in her stride.
"Your father, who had mastered controlling his facial expressions, was showing open panic. In all my years I knew him, I had never seen him like that. Later, I had learned that the platoon she was a part of had been ambushed and had lost contact."
"She was okay, though." Sasuke said, having difficulty imagining his father panicking as they continued forward.
"Oh yes." Kiyoko chuckled. "Not only was she okay, when he found her – now, I wasn't there to witness this, but I later got him to tell me at their wedding – she was standing in a field of her enemies. According to your father, her hair had come loose, and she had a cut on her cheek, but was otherwise uninjured. He had decided to marry her right then and there."
Kiyoko paused, and squinted at a particular section before shaking her head and continuing down the shelves. Meanwhile, Sasuke began to feel a sense of pride warming his belly.
Although Sasuke knew his mother was a jōnin and that she fought in the second and third wars, it had always been difficult to imagine the kind and gentle woman as a shinobi. Hearing this story however… Sasuke couldn't help the slight smile that formed on his face.
"Truthfully, despite how powerful he was, I really wasn't sure he'd ever get married. For the longest time he never even looked at a woman, and I remember the stress that put on your grandfather. Let's just say when Fugaku presented their engagement, your grandfather was quite happy." She laughed, and Sasuke's smile became a little wider. "The fact I get to meet you is something of a blessing to me."
"Why haven't I met you until now?" Sasuke asked.
Kiyoko's smile turned sorrowful before looking away. "I had lost some precious people during that war, and I had to leave Konoha for a while. I returned for their wedding, of course, but otherwise didn't return for another fourteen years. Not until the… In fact, I had every intention of adopting you, little Uchiha, when the massacre happened. When I heard what happened, I jumped on the first ship back to Konoha."
Sasuke took a step back, his eyes going wide. She did? She… she wanted me? Someone actually wanted me? He stared at the woman before him, who suddenly seemed quite different. The arrogant woman he assumed her to be fell away, and in its place was someone who knew great loss – like him.
She stared intently at the scrolls in front of her, obvious regret on her face as she traced the scrolls with her finger. Regret… and self-loathing.
In a flash, Sasuke wondered what his life might have been like if she had. Without his permission, thoughts began to flood his mind. What if she had come and taken care of him? What if he hadn't been left utterly alone? What if she had helped him and loved him, and–
Stop! Sasuke internally bellowed his thoughts to a halt. It would do me no good, wondering what could have been. Yet, as Sasuke looked at this woman as she pulled out a scroll, another question pressed firmly in his mind, and it wouldn't go away.
Then why didn't you?
Sasuke involuntarily clenched his fists, his fingers digging into the palms of his hand. He had to force his mouth to stay shut as the question repeated over, and over again. Using every bit of dignity he possessed, Sasuke kept his face carefully blank, so that the question wouldn't even be visible in his expression.
I can't ask. I won't ask. It's useless. It's…
"The reason I didn't, is the same reason I never showed my face to you until now." She said after a minute, her voice barely audible.
Sasuke held his breath at her words, his heart pounding as he listened.
"The same reason why I'm only giving this to you now, is because someone took certain measures to ensure I never could. You may not believe me, but…" Her eyes closed, and she took a deep, shaky breath before opening them again.
"I was told you would be killed if I ever tried to contact you." She turned to Sasuke with a scroll.
It was sealed with the Uchiha crest
"What changed?" Sasuke asked as he took the scroll.
"Nothing." She said, breathing out a puff of air that sounded almost like a snort. "But if you are here without me interfering, then perhaps you should have this scroll. Perhaps it is possible to give this to you at last… without having to worry for your life."
There was a desperate, conflicted look in the older woman's eyes. Somehow, Sasuke knew in that instant what she was feeling. He could see her desperately hoping she was making the right choice, and felt ashamed for not doing this sooner. He could see the fear all too clearly – scared that she may very well be costing Sasuke his life because of her actions.
She's a good woman, Sasuke found himself thinking.
"And if we hadn't been hired to do this job?" Sasuke asked, though he knew the answer.
"Then you would never have met me." She told him, her dark eyes shiny, remorseful.
Silence fell between them before she cleared her throat.
"That scroll was written by Fugaku. I don't know how it works, but only his blood – and the blood of his descendants – are able to open it. He told me that it contained jutsu he had created, and perfected. He also told me to give it to you, little Uchiha, when the time was right."
"Me? Not my brother?" Sasuke asked as he put the scroll away.
"Fugaku specifically said to give it to Sasuke, his heir. He didn't say why."
Heir? When did that happen? Sasuke knew that there was a fallout between Itachi and their father, but had it been so bad as to name Sasuke his heir? Not that it mattered, he supposed. Not anymore.
Yet, a small part of him still felt happy.
"This, little Uchiha, contains weapons more powerful than nearly anything else in this room. Use them well." She said, resting a hand on his shoulder.
Sasuke stared up at her, and saw something kind and loving in her eyes. She genuinely believes I'll succeed, he realized.
Sasuke gave her a polite bow. "Thank you… Kiyoko-san."
"You are welcome, Sasuke-kun. Now then," she said with a clap, sniffing. "We should join the others."
"Kiyoko-san, I have one more question." Sasuke said.
Her face changed, looking as if she swallowed something bitter.
"I think I know it, and unfortunately, I cannot tell you who kept me away from you. Literally. I am literally unable to tell you anything about them; there was some kind of jutsu placed on me that forbids it."
Sasuke frowned at her words, but nodded. Based on the information Kiyoko-san had given him, Sasuke could come to conclusions on who it might be. There were few people who could perform delicate jutsu like the one she described; most likely, there was some kind of seal placed on her. Root specifically came to mind.
"That's okay; you told me everything I needed to know."
She looked confused, but didn't press the matter.
They went back down to the ballroom in silence, Sasuke contemplating everything Kiyoko-san had told him. For whatever reason, someone wanted to keep Sasuke isolated. It wasn't likely Itachi would have prevented her from adopting Sasuke; that made no sense.
At least, he hoped Itachi wouldn't purposefully force him to be even more alone than he already was.
It could be Danzo, Sasuke thought, forcing himself to trust what he knew of his nii-san. Danzo was psychotic enough to get Itachi to kill our entire family, so it's not too far of a stretch. Yet… Sasuke frowned. If it was Danzo, then what would he have to gain from it? And if it weren't, then who else could it have been? Who would want to keep me isolated?
Mulling over the information, another realization came to him as he exited the elevator. His father intentionally left him, Sasuke, his prized jutsu.
Not Itachi, but him.
Sasuke began to wonder what kinds of jutsu they were – sharingan related, probably. If that were the case, then Sasuke would have to wait to try them out, but he was okay with that. In fact – and maybe it was because he was a child again – Sasuke felt excited. When was the last time he felt like this? It was almost as exciting as when he first got his sharingan, or when he first defeated his first truly tough opponent. This scroll, and her stories, were perhaps the single greatest gifts Sasuke had ever received – his chokutō from Orochimaru included.
When they entered the ballroom, Naruto was deeply engaged in a game with all three servers and two of the cooks. It appeared to be some kind of dice game, and Naruto was clearly winning.
"He's cheating, he's cheating!" one of the cooks groaned, holding his head in horror.
"He's a brat! You seriously think a brat can cheat adults like us?" a waiter said, hitting the first man lightly on his arm. Sasuke questioned the intelligence of the man, but ultimately kept his mouth shut.
"Naruto doesn't cheat. He should, but he just never does." Sakura chimed in, watching from the side.
"No need to cheat when you have luck on your side!" Naruto replied, before glancing up at Sasuke and Kiyoko-san. "Hey, teme's back; I guess we should wrap up the game."
At Naruto's words, everyone else looked up to see Sasuke and Kiyoko-san. The servers and cooks all stumbled to their feet and lowered to a deep bow. Naruto and Sakura also rose to their feet, and Sakura gave a polite bow, while Naruto merely grinned. Kakashi, who had been in a corner with his book, materialized in between Sakura and a waiter.
"How disappointing." Kiyoko-san sighed, giving a brief smile to her assistant as Mei slipped in next to her. "You are all having so much fun without me."
"Don't worry, auntie." Naruto said. "We can always continue if you like."
Sakura snorted, and Kakashi sighed as he looked up. The hired men, however, all shot Naruto a look, and Mei looked like she wanted to kill Naruto.
Kiyoko-san laughed. "Alas, perhaps another time. I assume everything is prepared?"
"Yes, Fūma-sama!" the hired men said in unison.
"Splendid! Since we finished so early, I suppose everyone can take a good long break before the party begins. I expect every one of you to return here at 18:00 sharp!"
"Thank you, Fūma-sama!" they replied, dispersing when she dismissed them.
Team Seven remained in the ballroom and Sasuke stepped over next to Naruto. Naruto glanced at Sasuke, looked away, and then looked back at him in bewilderment.
"What happened? Why are you so happy?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke.
Confused, Sasuke stared at Naruto. "What are you talking about?"
Naruto shrugged, looking forward. "Well, whatever it is, good for you, teme."
"Hn."
Kiyoko-san smiled at the four ninjas in front of her. "You all have done such a wonderful job, and I have no doubt that tonight will go off without a hitch! My niece is going to love what you've done with the place."
"Thank you, Kiyoko-san." Sakura said. "What would you like us to do while we wait for the party to begin?"
"Whatever you want? Read a book, learn a jutsu. Whatever it is you ninja do in your spare time. So long as you return on time, I don't care what you do. Oh, but I do have one request for tonight: my niece is about your age and very pretty. I trust that you boys won't be flirting with her?"
Sakura poorly disguised her laugh with a cough, and Sasuke had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at Kiyoko-san.
Kakashi put his hands on the boys' shoulders. "Don't worry, Kiyoko-san. My soldiers here are very professional."
Sasuke did roll his eyes at that one. Either way, he was eager to take a look at the scroll Kiyoko-san gave him, and he suspected that's partly why she was giving Team Seven some free time.
"Excellent!" Kiyoko said, clapping her hands together.
"Oh, wait! Kiyoko can I-" Naruto started.
"Kiyoko-san." Sasuke quietly corrected.
Naruto looked at Sasuke with confusion, but said, "Kiyoko-san, can I talk to you alone for a minute? I have some questions in regards to the, er, fountain."
Kiyoko-san raised an elegant eyebrow, but nodded.
"Certainly. I shall see the rest of you in a few hours. Remember: 18:00 sharp."
Sasuke watched as Naruto walked over to Kiyoko-san, who sent away her assistant. Mei looked a little annoyed, but didn't argue as she bowed away. He was still watching them exit the room when Kakashi started talking.
"Sakura, did you find anything?"
Oh, that's right. In his excitement over his father's jutsu, Sasuke had actually forgotten about the suspicious people they saw earlier that day.
"Nothing damning." Sakura shook her head. "The guests' names are Suzuki Hiro and Yoshida Shinto. They don't have any concrete connections to one another; Suzuki is from a reputable construction company, and Yoshida is a traveling merchant. There wasn't anything strange in their rooms, either. Honestly, they are two completely normal men on paper, but… I can't shake this feeling."
"Hmm." Kakashi hummed. "It may very well be nothing, but I'll look into it further."
"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said. "Want to grab lunch, Sasuke-kun? Kakashi-sensei? Since Naruto will be joining us later, we can finally have something other than ramen. He can't complain if he's not here when we decide, after all." Sakura looked at the clock then. "Though, I guess it could be considered an early dinner at this rate."
Lunch? Why bother with lunch when his father's jutsu were waiting to be studied?
"Some other time; there is something I need to do." Sasuke said, giving her his attention.
"Okay, but I know that look, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said. "Please remember to eat a real lunch; and no, snacking on tomatoes does not count. Tomatoes are great, but you need other things, too."
"Hn." Sasuke shrugged. In truth, he had found that tomatoes worked perfectly when he was short on time, or didn't want to make something because he was busy.
"Honestly, why do I bother?" Sakura asked, throwing her hands up in the air. "You're as bad as Naruto!"
Before Sasuke could protest, Sakura had already walked away. Sasuke and Kakashi exchanged glances, and he briefly considered following her.
But my father's jutsu…
Making up his mind, Sasuke nodded to Kakashi before leaving the premises. Perhaps he should have given the older man a proper farewell, but Sasuke couldn't find it in him to care – not when he had a scroll full of his father's secrets to uncover.
He may not be able to do a single jutsu in this scroll, but that wouldn't stop him from taking a look. His father was one of the most powerful ninjas back in his day, comparable even to the Fourth himself! If he could learn even a little bit from Wicked-Eye Fugaku, Sasuke was certain he would take leaps and bounds in improving.
When Sasuke reached his apartment, his hands shook with anticipation as he opened his door. Dropping his bag off by the door – he'd put it away later – Sasuke strode over to his desk. Turning the light on, he sat down. Sasuke reached for the pouch on his leg, but decided to set an alarm first, just in case.
Thank you, Kiyoko-san, Sasuke thought as he pulled out his scroll. This means more to me than you probably know.
Author's Note:
Quick word of thanks to Merlcia, whose comment actually helped me to realize I wasn't doing Sakura justice. As a result, it made me realize there were other characters I also wasn't doing justice to, and I hope I was able to correct that/will correct that in the upcoming chapters. Plus, I think this chapter actually became much better once I fixed it :)
If there's ever anything about the story that doesn't make sense, or simply not working, by all means let me know! Feedback is the best way to help me become a better writer, after all.
*Okaka – a type of rice seasoning made from "katsuobushi", known as bonito flakes. It's simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (and also one of Sasuke's favorites!)
** Purin – a flan-like cold custard dessert in Japan. It has a firmer texture similar to Mexican flan and also has caramel sauce on top
*** Nihongami – one of many traditional Japanese hairstyles, dating to the Edo period
Also, in case you are curious, the "strange dagger" that Sasuke was admiring was a pugio, which is an ancient dagger that Roman soldiers used as a sidearm.
In regards to Fugaku and Mikoto, I have a head-canon that they got to know each other when the second shinobi war started (Mikoto at 16, Fugaku at 21). Especially after she got promoted to jōnin, the two worked closely together during the second war. Since he's five years older than her – and again he didn't want her to have to stop her shinobi duties – he didn't pursue her romantically for the 4.5 years the war went on. Plus, I feel like Fugaku would be like Sasuke and is a little one-track minded, and so is awkward with the girl he likes.
They married after the second shinobi war ended, and Mikoto retired only after Itachi was born. However, she briefly came out of retirement during the third shinobi war when Itachi was two. It ended when he was almost four years old (which is when Fugaku traumatized Itachi into becoming the pacifist we all know and love). Sasuke was born about a year after the third war ended (Itachi being four, almost five).
While I'm not necessarily taking sides on if this is right or not, I do want to make clear that Mikoto was fine with retiring from being a shinobi. She believed that the privilege of raising her kids was equally, if not more, important than her ninja duties. I imagine she kept up her ninja-skills even after retiring, and probably threw kunai to help destress when her kids were napping or otherwise occupied.
I hope y'all have a great rest of your day!