Sunday, October 19th

Kakashi watched Sasuke slosh into his car, getting the seat completely wet. He was so thoroughly soaked through; he looked like he'd just taken a bath with his clothes.

"It's thoughtful of you to help save on the water bill," Kakashi said, plastering an obnoxious smile onto his face. "I would have brought a bar of soap had I known,"

Sasuke didn't acknowledge his attempt at levity, but that was fine with Kakashi. He was just glad he'd gotten into the car with little coaxing. Given the monsoon outside, he had been grateful that flashing his brights into the falling rain had been enough to get Sasuke's attention and encourage him to get in the car. His windshield wipers were on high, and he could still barely see out the window.

Sasuke was trying to hide that he was shivering, so Kakashi turned the heat on full blast as subtly as he could. He resolved to be a mature, adult figure for the rest of the drive and promised himself there would be no more jokes or sarcasm.

Kakashi had once heard that the best place to have the birds and the bees conversation with teens was in a car, so they couldn't escape. Kakashi had no interest or need to talk about that with Sasuke (at least he didn't think so?), but he did realize he might be able to use the enclosed space to his advantage.

He tentatively broached the topic as he began driving through puddles and onto the wet asphalt.

"I know your feelings toward your brother are complicated, but I am so sorry for your loss, Sasuke. No matter the circumstances, it's never easy."

Sasuke didn't respond and instead looked out the rain-streaked window into the dark, actively ignoring Kakashi's attempt to have a meaningful conversation. Kakashi decided to keep going, but his voice was hesitant.

"Have you considered whether you'd like to have any kind of service for Itachi?"

Sasuke's eyes shot over to the driver's side of the car.

"No," he said, making perfect eye contact with Kakashi, his voice made of steel. Kakashi figured this might be the case. Personally, he wouldn't want to have a funeral for a murderous brother. He knew funerals could be an important part of processing death, but would he push something like that on Sasuke if he wouldn't choose it himself?

"You can think it over for a few days," Kakashi sighed. "No one will judge you if you want to say goodbye to the version of your brother you loved."

Kakashi could feel Sasuke tense beside him.

"I said no. I won't be changing my mind." He proclaimed harshly, crossing his arms tightly against his chest and looking back out the window.

"Got it," Kakashi nodded. He knew further conversation wasn't welcome, but he also knew the second he parked the car, he'd lose his chance. "I talked to Dr. Senju, and she said they are happy to give you as many days off as you need to grieve. There's no rush to go back."

"I don't need to grieve. I'm going back tomorrow,"

Right. Because brooding in the pouring rain tended to indicate someone was carefree.

"I think you might benefit from taking a day at the very least," Kakashi reasoned. In addition to grieving his brother, Sasuke would also have to deal with the fact that Itachi's death was all over the news, and he would not be able to mourn in private. Kakashi knew Sasuke would hate that kind of unwanted attention.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said stonily, anger seeping into his tone.

Kakashi sighed, "Will you at least sleep at the house for the rest of the week?" He felt he needed to keep a closer eye on Sasuke, though he avoided saying that directly.

"I said I'm fine." Sasuke's voice was hard as glass, and Kakashi could feel the rage behind them.

"You know, it's okay not to be okay. I was thinking it might be good for you to talk to someone—a professional." Sasuke was looking at Kakashi like he was satan himself.

"I won't be talking to you or a fucking therapist. I already told you I don't give a fuck about Itachi." Kakashi pulled into the driveway, sighing as Sasuke cursed at him and moved to unbuckle his seatbelt.

"I don't need your pity. You think you're such a goddamn martyr for taking in an orphan. Guess what? You don't know anything."

Kakashi inhaled deeply, trying to maintain an air of impassivity. Sasuke was practically growling, and after finishing his acrid monologue, his hand darted to open the door as the car came to a stop.

"Sasuke," Kakashi sighed, "as much as I fancy myself Mother Theresa, I didn't become your guardian out of pity or a desire to be magnanimous." Kakashi grabbed Sasuke's elbow, keeping him in the car a moment longer.

"I lost both of my parents. I had no one. Then when I allowed myself to connect to others again, I lost them too. I don't know what it's like to be in your shoes, but I know loss, and I know being alone."

Sasuke finally spared him a glance, but it was still dark and angry. "Maybe when I'm in my 30s, I can look forward to being as emotionally evolved as you." His tone was sarcastic and caustic. It didn't take a genius to know it was a dig.

Ah, teenagers were such delights.

Shikamaru groaned when he got the text from Ino.

SOS. Tell Chouji to bring that ice cream from last time...

He was still exasperated with Ino from this morning. He knew she was within her rights to sleep with whoever she wanted, but he couldn't believe she'd had unprotected sex with a guy she met Friday night and tried to make it sound like no big deal. She'd insisted she was completely fine with everything, but now she was sending dramatic texts, and something was clearly wrong.

Worry and jealousy gnawed at him, but it was quickly overpowered by irritation. He screenshotted her text to Chouji and grabbed a sweatshirt before making the short walk to the girls' dorms. Chouji texted back that he was with Sasha and her roommate, but Shikamaru didn't care. He couldn't deal with Ino alone again. He needed backup this time. Maybe Chouji would do all the talking, and he could take a nap.

When Ino opened the door, she looked like a mess. She wore yoga pants and a massive shirt and looked like she'd been crying.

"What's wrong?" He asked, trying to keep the concern out of his voice. Ino's lip trembled, "I have to go to St. John," Ino sobbed, saying it as if she were being sent to Rikkers Island.

"As in… the Virgin Island?" Shikamaru's closed the door behind him and leaned against it, attempting to understand the problem. Ino's tears had restarted, and she was now actively crying.

"F-for Thanksgiving. I have to go with my mom and Kent. I c-can't go to Aspen," she was now burying her face in her hands in an unparalleled display of melodrama. Shikamaru was finally able to understand why she was upset, though.

For as long as he could remember, his family had been spending Thanksgiving with the Akimichi's and Yamanaka's at the St. Regis in Aspen. With the Yamanaka's divorce, it made sense that the holidays would change this year.

Shikamaru stepped forward to pull her into his arms like he's done for years whenever she was upset. He sighed, "I can't say I've ever had to console someone for spending a week on a tropical island before,"

"I don't want to go anywhere with Kent. I want to go with you guys!" She cried pathetically. She pulled out of his arms and sat on her bed, leaning against the wall.

"And I'm soooo hormonal. It's the Plan B. My body is literally out of control." She put her crumpled face in her hands again, and he went to sit at the edge of the bed, leaving a few feet between them. "Do you see this zit?? It's like freaking Mount Vesuvius!"

Shikamaru pushed a lock of blond hair out of her face, leaning closer to take in her face. He saw an incredibly small red bump on her forehead

"I think it's a little dramatic to compare your face to Pompeii." He smirked, hoping to get a smile out of her.

When she didn't so much as show a tooth, Shikamaru sighed and leaned back against the wall next to her. He studied her face carefully, "Hey, you know you can tell me if you're upset about last night, right? I get it if you made a mistake."

Ino's defensive snarl cut off Shikamaru's gentle tone instantly. "I did not make a mistake! You're such a judgemental ass sometimes. I've told you 5000 times; I did what I wanted,"

Bracing for Ino's aggression, Shikamaru nodded. "I hear you. I'm just saying that even if you did something you wanted, you might still find it had unintended consequences. Women are sensitive about this kind of stuff."

Ino's eyes were alight with the rage of a thousand women scorned, but Shikamaru unwisely kept going.

"When you orgasm, you release oxytocin, making you connect with the person you're with. It's a very vulnerable time for women… then again you probably wouldn't orgasm with some random guy for your first time…" Shikamaru trailed off as he realized Ino looked like she would combust into flames right before him.

Her tone was dangerous, "in what world do you think me asking you to bring ice cream is the same as you coming over here and mansplaining—"

By the grace of God, Ino was cut off when the door swung open, and Chouji appeared with Sasha and Tenteh behind him, holding grocery store bags, likely full of ice cream.

Ino sat up straighter. "Is that the Moose Tracks?" She asked, her dangerous tone immediately switching from scathing to pitiful.

"Regular and Extreme," Chouji nodded.

Ino thrived on attention, so even though she hardly knew Sasha and Tenten, she welcomed them into her personal life. As long as they allowed her to maintain her position as the center of attention, she saw no reason not to include them. She told Chouji about Aspen and then explained that her face and mood had been destroyed by a single pill.

Chouji had looked at her like there was a swarm of beetles crawling all over her face when she mentioned taking Plan B.

"Y-you did what?"

Sasha and Tenten were more tactful, though she still caught their surprised, slightly scandalized looks. Shikamaru appeared relieved that he wasn't the only one in the room anymore. He clearly knew she'd been about to murder him and had been saved by the presence of potential witnesses.

Tenten had won significant points in Ino's eyes that night. Even though she didn't seem like the type to have refined taste in beauty products, she told Ino she had an amazing face mask that would clear up her zit overnight. Five minutes later, she had run to her room and back to Ino's to bring her a small jar of La Mer. She assured her Mount Vesuvius had met its match, and Ino knew then she had a new friend.

When Sakura stumbled through the door 30 minutes later, Ino had had to retell her story. She hadn't seen her since last night before Ino had gone back to the dorm and Sakura had gone to the sleepover. She made sure this rendition of Homecoming events was even more captivating.

Chouji and Shikamaru hadn't listened to Ino the second (for Shikamaru third) time around. They ended up having their own conversation while the girls huddled around Ino on her bed.

Ino had been vague about the person involved the whole night because she knew Tenten had brought Kankuro. Did Tenten already know? She didn't think so. Sakura looked like she was about to press for more details, so she decided to take the focus off herself.

"So.." Ino started secretively, lowering her voice, "I know Forehead over hear plans to die a virgin," she raised her brows, giving her angry looking friend an amused smirk, "and I've gathered nothing like that has happened between you and Chouji yet," she said nodding at Sasha, "what about you Tenten? Any lovers in Suna?" She said the word with an obnoxious lilt to her voice.

Tenten laughed. "I'm afraid not. I dated a guy for a bit last year, but it really didn't go anywhere. Pretty PG- maybe a little PG-13."

"Very scandalous," Ino was disappointed at the lack of drama but felt a bubbling pride at being the most knowledgeable on the subject in the room. She loved being the one in the know, and now she had more "life experience" than these sophomores.

"Maybe something will happen with your dance partner soon," Sasha nudged her friend knowingly. Tenten smiled at her hands in front of her but rolled her eyes when she finally looked up.

"I don't know. He's pretty hot and cold. It's hard to tell what kind of mood I'll find him in. Sometimes I don't even think he likes me as a person."

"Who's this?" Sakura asked, looking between Sasha and Tenten.

"Neji Hyuuga," Sasha named her friend's crush with no remorse, giving her a mischievous grin. Ino and Sakura's eyes both widened.

"Ughhhh, he's gorgeous," Ino shared a glance with Sakura, who was nodding in agreement. "Why didn't you go with him to homecoming?"

"Well, mainly because I was bringing my friends, but also, I can hardly envision him asking me. Even if this whole thing isn't completely one-sided, which it very well might be, it's hard to imagine him asking anyone to a dance."

The girls continued talking long after Chouji and Shikamaru returned to their room. Ino enjoyed Sasha and Tenten— more than her cheer friends, for sure (aside from Sakura). They giggled and gossiped until 9:30, when everyone agreed they needed to get some sleep for class in the morning.

Despite the nasty effects the tiny tablet of hormones had on her sanity, Ino was feeling content again. She fell asleep thinking of her irritating yet steadfast boys, Moose Tracks, and new friends.

When Sasuke was in 3rd grade, he was suspended from school for a day. He was generally a well-behaved child. He was quiet, but he still had plenty of friends, and he always wanted to keep his parents happy. His mother would scold him if he made trouble at school, and he wanted nothing more than his father's approval. For the most part, his parents had no reason to fuss. Sasuke was a good kid. Still, he had his flaws...

It had been a fall day, and his class had been released for recess. He had been playing with friends, minding his own business, when out of nowhere, a slew of girls ran by. His annoying pink-haired classmate ran up to him and tried to kiss him.

Gross.

Instead of allowing this to happen, he pushed her as hard as he could into the woodchip-covered ground. Naturally, she began crying, and all of the girls had run off to tell his teacher. Citing their zero violence policy, the principal made his parents pick him up and take him home for the rest of the day.

His mother had been firm but understanding. She had been leaning against the sink, peeling carrots, while looking over at him as he was forced to sit at the kitchen table.

"I know you didn't like that, Sasuke. It's never okay for someone to touch you without your permission. Still, sweetie, it's not okay to hit or push others unless you're in danger. You should have tried using your words first ."

His brother walked through the kitchen laughing,

"I hear you're having girl troubles already, huh?"

Sasuke glared at his brother, resenting his amusement. "Just don't get a big head from all that attention."

"It's not funny!" He yelled at Itachi.

Itachi stifled his grin. "You're right. It's not going to be funny when Dad gets home." Noticing his mother's reproachful look, he left the room quickly.

He had been right, though. The moment his father came home, he had given Sasuke a tongue-lashing as his mother continued to quietly make dinner. He scolded Sasuke for hurting a little girl and then admonished him for forcing his mother to leave work early because of his misbehavior. He'd then devolved into a diatribe on self-control and emotional regulation that was likely too technical for a grade schooler.

"You know, Sasuke, humans have three innate elements that inform behavior." He began, pacing by the kitchen counter. "Instinct, emotion, and reason. We all have instincts- to eat, to copulate, to defend ourselves, to lash out when threatened. If we allow ourselves to act on instinct without regulation, we become no better than animals. We become criminals. We fall to the seven deadly sins- at best being gluttons, at worst being rapists and murderers."

Sasuke had had no clue what a glutton was, but he tried to look at his father as if he understood. He didn't want to get in further trouble.

"Humans also act on emotions- anger, sadness, fear, jealousy, and joy. Although necessary, emotions can hinder logic. Sympathy, empathy, love, and fear can alter actions greatly.

Finally, reason is what allows us to control instinct and emotions. Despite the flaws I've explained, we still need instinct and emotion—they must just be well-regulated. When we allow reason to guide instinct, it allows us to build families, nourish our bodies, and respond to dangerous situations. When we allow reason to drive emotion, we can show kindness and love and restrain hatred and jealousy.

One of the first things I noticed when I met your mother in training," he said, gesturing to his wife, putting the finishing touches on dinner, "was that she was far too emotional to be a police officer." Sasuke watched his mother look up with a scowl, but she did nothing to interrupt Fugaku. "She was enraged by the abuse, murder, apathy, and neglect she saw on a daily basis, and she questioned protocol. I've seen her put herself and others in danger because she recklessly let her emotions drive her decisions." Sasuke looked to his mother again, but aside from an exaggerated eye roll, she did nothing but smile and shake her head at her husband.

"Your brother and I are innately logical. While we may feel a flicker of instinct and emotion, we naturally use cognition to drive us.

You are far more like your mother. You succumb to sadness, anger, jealousy, and empathy. Today, you allowed yourself to react too quickly, and you hurt a little girl.

Fortunately, through training, I watched your mother retrain her brain. Though she will always be far too tender-hearted, she became an excellent officer. I would trust your mother with my life on the field, but this is only because she learned that her logic must overpower her two lesser forms of decision-making.

You can learn too, Sasuke, and you have an advantage over your mother because I am teaching you this at a young age. Never let your instinct or emotions go unrestrained like you did today. They will only cause chaos and weakness in life and vulnerability in the field."

His mother walked up next to his father, gently placing her hand on his arm as she looked up at him,

"You forget Fugaku; there is one area of life where even your emotions can't be governed by reason." She smiled knowingly. "When you have children, you will find that your love for them is everything. Love trumps all thought when it comes to your babies." She kissed her son's cheek and smoothed out his hair, not phased by his scowl.

"It is quite profound," Fugaku admitted stiffly, causing his mother to chuckle. Sasuke's father had never been one to articulate his love for his children, but Sasuke would always remember these words as a begrudging admission.

Although Sasuke hadn't fully understood his father's words then, they had been more influential after his death. When he lost his family, he was suffocated by emotion. Loss carved out his insides, making him feel simultaneously hollow and heavy. When he discovered Itachi was the prime suspect, his rage ignited into hot white fury that hadn't dissipated for weeks. When he saw his classmates, he felt envy so strong it sometimes felt like hatred simply because they had family to go home to.

After his parents died, Sasuke found himself unable to speak with reason, so he found restraint to be a better option. The less he said, the less he'd allow his emotions to overrun his resolve. He pushed those emotions inward, and he tried to be nothing outward.

His father would be ashamed if he could see him now, cursing at Kakashi and imprudently running into the rainy night. But what would he think of Itachi? Where was the logic behind his actions when he murdered everyone at the police station that day? Maybe his father had been wrong about both of them- maybe Sasuke would never be able to act based on reason, but maybe Itachi hadn't been as good at it as his father thought in the first place.

Now that Itachi was dead, some of the emotions Sasuke had gotten to simmer were reignited. New ones flamed with hot blue centers, burning- leaving him in agony.

Sasuke had told Kakashi to fuck off more often than not in the past 48 hours.

Even under Kakashi's infuriating attempts to converse about a memorial and therapy and how they both knew pain, Sasuke tried his best to come off as a rational person. He wanted desperately to be a person governed by logic, like his father—like Kakashi. But that's what Kakashi didn't understand. They weren't the same no matter how much pain and loneliness Kakashi knew. Kakashi may have had moments in his life that caused inner turmoil to shatter his judicious thinking, but his baseline was objective. Sasuke knew he was different. When he allowed himself to speak the words that first came to mind, they were embarrassingly embedded in anger and sadness.

Kakashi may understand pain, but he couldn't know how it felt to be a pressure cooker of emotions. One more speck of pressure and he would explode.

Hinata was doing her best not to glower at her father as she picked at the particularly bony fillet of coho salmon in front of her. She loved her father very much, but his protective ways could be infuriating.

She had avoided telling her father she had a date to homecoming because he would inevitably make a bigger deal of it than it was. Unfortunately, Hanabi had seen a picture she and Lee had been tagged in on Instagram, and she'd just had to ask her about it over dinner.

Her father had straightened up immediately and reminded her of his rule that she wasn't allowed to date until she was 18.

"It wasn't a date, Dad. We just went to the dance together to have fun. There was nothing romantic about it." She'd told him, trying to smooth over the situation quickly.

"Hanabi just asked who your date was, and you told her it was this Lee boy. Now you're saying he wasn't your date?" He'd asked, pointing out the contradiction.

"He was my date to the dance, but it wasn't a date." She tried to explain helplessly, aware that her reasoning sounded stupid to even her own ears. Regardless, it was true. A date to the dance could easily be platonic.

"Why did you even need a date? You didn't have one, did you, Neji?" He's asked Neji, staring her cousin down. He merely shook his head, not providing Hinata with a shred of help.

Neji had had more heated moments with his non-date than she'd had with Lee, Hinata thought to herself in frustration.

"It was so I could be involved with a group and take pictures with everyone." She'd attempted to justify, pushing her plate away from her.

"Did Neji not go with a group and take pictures?" He asked, looking at her cynically. Hinata fought back a scowl. Neji had more friends than her. Tenten had thoughtfully set her up with Lee so that she could go with their group. Otherwise, Hinata would have followed Kiba to the dance and would have quickly been alone the moment he wandered off with a girl.

She knew better than to argue with her father, though. "He did," she nodded. "You have nothing to worry about, though. There is nothing between Lee and I. He was a very nice friend and very polite.

"Hinata, I know it is difficult for you to understand, but boys that age only care about one thing. I am disappointed in your judgment. You are not allowed to go on any more dates."

"I can assure you, nothing of the sort was on Lee's mind."

"Hinata, you know so very little about the world. It would help if you trusted me. I am just looking out for your best interests."

This was the comment that had led Hinata to take deep, cleansing breaths to calm her emotions. Now she looked away, trying her best not to argue back. The idea that he felt the need to keep her from Rock Lee when the most violating, horrific experiences of her life had taken place under his own roof filled her with fury.

She reminded herself that her father didn't know any of this. Regardless, the way her family thought of her as such an ignorant girl made her grip the edges of her dining chair with white knuckles.

She pushed down her bitterness and looked at her father with a contrived smile. It was best to go along with what he said.

"Of course, I appreciate it. I will not take a partner to the dance in the future."

She caught Neji looking between her and her father as if he wanted to say something. He never did, though. He knew better than to get involved, even if he knew his uncle was being unreasonable.

Hinata began to clear plates from the table after excusing herself. She and Neji would need to return to campus, and she couldn't sit for that conversation anymore. She knew her family loved her. Still, she often felt like they didn't even know her.

Would they still love her if they knew as much about her as they thought they did?

Monday, October 20, 2017

Sasuke had reluctantly stayed home on Monday. Kakashi had told him he'd leave him alone if he took a day away from KPA to "grieve." Sasuke had stayed at Kakashi's, but he'd tried his best not to think about Itachi. It wasn't very effective. He spent most of the day with a heavy feeling, trying to divert his thoughts.

It was close to six pm before he decided to walk back to campus. The rain had ended last night, leaving cool fall air in its wake. Today, the sun had been out, and the evening was crisp and dry.

Sasuke had been walking on auto-pilot, not paying as much attention to his surroundings as usual, when he felt a rough hand grand his arm a few hundred yards from the campus gates.

He gasped and swung around to see a man with a bone-chilling grin holding onto him. The man looked close to seven feet, and he had a massive grey shark tattooed across his face. His yellowing teeth looked like they had been intentionally filed to create sharp points.

Despite his rapidly beating heart, Sasuke kept his face calm as confusion and dread swept over him. These feelings were followed by shock when he heard his name come from the man's lips.

"Little Sasuke Uchiha," he jeered, lazily running his eyes over him. "You look so much like Itachi,"

Sasuke couldn't help but flinch at his brother's name on this man's tongue. He had never seen this man in his life, and he couldn't imagine what he wanted. Keeping his voice steady and unruffled, he locked eyes with the tattooed man.

"Who are you?"

"You seem frightened, Sasuke," the concern in the deep voice did not match the sneer on his face. Sasuke glared at the man but said nothing.

"I'm Kisame, one of your brother's most beloved friends. It's so shocking you haven't heard of me." If his knowledge of Itachi and his threatening appearance were anything to go by, this was likely a very dangerous man.

"Relax, I'm not here to hurt you, little boy."

"Why are you here?" Sasuke demanded, attempting to keep his gaze strong.

"I have a message from Itachi."

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