Sasuke wakes up at the crack of dawn as usual. The house around him is dark and silent. He runs laps around the private Uchiha training grounds, and then moves through his katas. He walks through the empty compound, and the darkened windows follow him silently, like so many blank eyes.
Despite his best efforts as a child, the three years of his absence have deteriorated those proud buildings, and finely pruned streets. He announces his presence quietly, but there is no movement from Itachi's corner of the house. The chakra signatures of the ANBU stationed around them are ever-present.
He tries to put them out of his mind and focus on the meditation techniques Orochimaru taught him while he showered. The hot water worked some of the tension out of his muscles. He closes his eyes and just stands under the spray.
It shouldn't be so calm and rutinous. He's back in Konoha. Itachi is still alive. His clan is still gone. Orochimaru is still alive. He's still a Genin. It's like the last three years hadn't happened at all.
He dries himself off and gets dressed and stands in his freshly painted room, and realizes, for the first time in a long time, that he has nothing to do with himself. There's no training to be done. There's no pressing missions. Itachi is alive. His clan is gone. There is no longer a clear path of what he needs to do anymore. He wonders if Itachi is still asleep precisely because he feels, as keenly as Sasuke, that there is nothing else to do. Or maybe it's the healthy fear is Tsunade and Orochimaru's combined wrath of he steps one toe out of line before they tell him he's ready for exertion.
He settles for making tea in the kitchen and cracking a few eggs in a pan for a simple breakfast. Itachi's memories of such simple repetitive tasks more than make up for Sasuke's fairly average skill in the kitchen, and it turns out quite good. There's something hovering at the edge of those memories. Or someone. Almost like Itachi had tried to edit his own recollections. Sasuke wonders if it's possible to tamper with Sharingan memories. Wonders what Itachi didn't want him to know, even on the occasion of his eventual death. His brother, ever the magician, still keeping his secrets.
Itachi's chakra signature is a small and steady thing. His breath is even and calm. Sasuke wonders if it would be childish to wake him and demand company. He isn't sure how that would go. They are still cautious around each other, relearning how to be in each other's company.
He decides to let him sleep, and take a peek at more of the Uchiha trust archives. He's just spread out the scrolls on the kitchen table, when the ANBU materializes in his kitchen. Sasuke has activated his sharingan and drawn a kunai before the last leaf of the shunshin touches the ground.
"Sasuke Uchiha. Your presence is required by the Hokage."
Sasuke twirls the knife in his hand and returns it to his pouch, his sharingan fading.
"Understood," he nods.
The ANBU regards him impassively from behind his white mask and disappears. Sasuke sighs. He wonders if Itachi will be alarmed to wake up and find him gone, and then decides he doesn't care. He's just got enough pettiness left for that.
He takes to the rooftops, and debates getting into Tsunade's office through the window, to avoid having to talk to anyone. But he's already on her shit list, and he doesn't want to piss her off further.
The only reason he's not rotting in a prison right now is the kindness of her heart, and the only reason he hasn't been executed for treason is Itachi's quiet, polite reminder, that if they push for capital punishment, the entirety of Konoha can kiss the Uchiha bloodline goodbye, since he'll be turning runner again.
He walks through the tower with his head held high. It's as much as his Uchiha pride demands of him. He doesn't meet Iruka-sensei's eyes as he walks through the mission room, and into her office. He pretends like people don't stop speaking, as soon as he passes them by, as if they don't pick conversation up in hushed whispers.
Shizune is standing behind the Hokage's desk. Next to her is Sakura, who is avoiding his gaze. Her face looks like it's been carved out of stone – completely impassive. Naruto is sitting directly in a pile of paperwork, facing Tsunade, and talking to her animatedly about something, and she appears to be humoring him, her honey eyes warm, and her smile bearing a certain kind of quiet pride.
Sasuke feels panic rising in his throat. There is an itch under his skin to leave. He is keenly aware of how much he doesn't belong int his room with these people. He has betrayed them all. He had just been trying to -
Tsunade looks up at him, and her eyes turn cold, her smile vanishing, as her painted lips press into a thin disapproving line.
"Sasuke Uchiha." She says his name quietly, but it's enough. He stands still to attention.
Naruto bristles beside her, and turns around. He is smiling, but it's strained.
"As it is," Tsunade begins, "you and Naruto are still at the rank of Genin."
Sasuke bristles. It was part of his probation – traitors did not exactly make great chuunin candidates. Tsunade keeps speaking.
"While Naruto qualifies for a field promotion, due to his work with Jiraiya, he has turned it down-" She sends Naruto a withering look, demonstrating just how much she disapproves of the decision.
Sasuke feels a pang of something he can't quite place at the thought. Naruto's dream had taken so many hits over the last three years. Stupid, stupid idiot. "And he insisted he be placed on a Genin squad with you. Since Sakura has been promoted already-"
Sakura nods silently, but she still doesn't look at Sasuke.
"You will operate as a three man squad, of two Genin, and one Jonin. Of course, this is just to appease the council, who'd rather have you operating as a cleaner in prison."
"And who will -" Sasuke cleared his throat. This was the first time he'd spoken, and he was aware that everyone's attention was on him. "Who will be our squad captain?"
Tsunade smiled, and in that moment Sasuke felt a shiver run through him. Behind her, Sakura's impassive face was now a mirroring expression.
"Me." She said stepping forward.
Naruto nodded, like he'd been expecting it.
"Kakashi-sensei's back on active duty." Naruto said, as though he was expecting Sasuke to blow up at him. But Sasuke wasn't about to discount leniency when he saw it- Tsunade could have stuck him with someone who hates his guts just as easily. At least he was on a team with his friends. Or something.
Were they even still friends after everything that happened?
Considering the withering looks they're both giving him, maybe, the one thing he always thought he would be able to count on - Naruto's friendship - is not so constant after all.