Densetsu no Yonnin (The Legendary Four) - Chapter I (Reworked)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
A/N: Before we get started, I just want to say that I sincerely apologize for dropping off the grid for over a year. I know what it feels like for one of my favorite fanfiction stories to stop updating for long periods of time and for no apparent reason. And yet, I still did it to you all.
I said I was working on another project, and while I still am, that project was put to the wayside as well. To be honest, I kind of lost the motivation to write for a little while. I don't know why because I like writing and I love anime.
Once again, I apologize for leaving you all in the dark, but now I have my mojo back, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon.
To start things off, I've been reading these past chapters to get a feel for my story again, and quite frankly, I am astonished at how far I have come. Looking back, I noticed that a lot of the story concepts and developments I used do not work the same way for me as they did before. Though, I will admit that a lot of it was just past-me half-assing it just to put out a new chapter before the end of the month.
So, I am announcing right here that the first few chapters of Densetsu no Yonnin are being severely reworked. This is so that the story will flow and develop better. I also have abandoned some ideas because I realized that in order for future events to work, they have to change.
Right now, I've only done the first chapter and the first opening, but I plan on reworking the other chapters later.
Now that that's out of the way, onward to the reworked version of Densetsu no Yonnin!
Hinata and Naruto
It was an early, winter morning in the Hidden Leaf Village when the sound of fighting could be heard. The grunts and pained whimpers originated from a compound housing one of the village's most powerful clans. Specifically, in the dojo where a spar was happening between two people: Hyūga Hinata, the heiress to the Hyūga clan, and her cousin Hyūga Neji.
Well, "spar" isn't the right word. More like beat down.
Neji was ruthless in his attacks. Hinata desperately tried to keep up with her cousin, however, she was getting slower as more of Neji's Gentle Fist strikes landed. Finally, as Hinata was on her last leg and before Neji could land a final blow, a stern and authoritative voice interrupted the spar.
"That's enough, Neji." Over to the side of the dojo sat the current head of the Hyūga clan and Hinata's father, Hyūga Hiashi.
Hiashi's appearance was that of your typical Hyūga clan member. Long, brown hair, pale, pupilless eyes, and an indifferent expression on his face. However, what set him apart from most Hyūgas was the aura this man exuded; it was powerful and demanded respect.
Next to him sat his youngest daughter, Hanabi. She also had the typical Hyūga appearance, but instead of indifference, her face held concern.
Standing up, Hiashi walked over to Hinata and addressed her, "Hinata. Your cousin has managed to best you once again. You are the Hyūga heiress; you need to be strong to lead this clan into greatness. Hesitating when fighting an enemy will only lead to your downfall and the downfall of the Hyūga." With a sigh, he turned toward the door and started to walk out, "Training is over for today.", he called back.
There was a tense silence after Hiashi left the dojo. Neji looked impassive, Hinata's gaze was locked on the floor, and Hanabi stared at her sister in worry. Sensing Hinata's inner turmoil, Hanabi walked up to her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, "Don't worry, nee-sama, I'm sure you'll be strong. Father, doesn't know what he's talking about."
Grateful for her younger sister's efforts, Hinata squeezed back. "Thanks, Hanabi-chan. I keep trying to do the Gentle Fist katas, but for some reason, they don't feel right to me." Hinata explained.
"Isn't it obvious?", Neji's voice cut through the air like a knife to butter, "It's because she's unfit to be the head of the clan."
Neji's words dampened Hinata's mood even more and angered Hanabi, "Oh, what do you know, Neji?"
"She just admitted to her inability to perform the katas correctly. That means she's physically incapable of being strong. She's also too soft", he stated before turning to Hinata, "You had the chance to strike me multiple times and you didn't. It's as Hiashi-sama stated, that type of thinking will get you killed."
"That won't happen. Hinata-nee-sama is strong, you'll see," Hanabi tried to convince Neji, but he just shook his head.
"Hanabi-sama, from the moment people are born, their destiny is decided. No one can change their fate. Hinata was fated to be weak, and you were fated to be strong. You are too young now so, you won't understand. But you-", he turned to Hinata, "Hinata-sama, you should know by now. There is no point in trying to become stronger. You are and always will be a weakling."
With those final words, he turned to the door and walked out of the dojo. Hinata's mood was the lowest it had been that day. She stared at the ground with tears threatening to emerge, but she managed to hold them back. Hinata decided to go to her room and trudged toward the door.
"Nee-sama, where are you going?" Hanabi asked with concern filling her voice.
"Oh... I'll just be in my room. I'll be fine, Hanabi-chan," she replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Hanabi nodded at her sister's reply, and Hinata trudged out of the dojo.
(Hinata's Room)
After cleaning herself up, Hinata lay on her bed while her mind was swirling with thoughts. Most of her thoughts revolved around the spar earlier that morning; how she once again failed to perform adequately, the disappointed look in her father's eyes, and the harsh words from Neji. No matter how much she didn't want to believe Neji's words, she couldn't help but wonder if what he said was true.
She could never perform the Gentle Fist style correctly; no matter how much she tried. Whenever she performed the stances and the movements, it was as if her body was screaming "No." Hinata was also gentle, much more than the others in the main family. She always treated the branch members of her family as equals and refused to use the caged bird seal. She bowed back to the civilians whenever they bowed to her, and she was always hesitant to spar with her sister and cousin.
Her kind soul and inadequacy with the Gentle Fist made the clan elders believe she was unfit to be the clan head. They always told her that kindness was a weakness, but she never believed them. She also never listened to them when they said that the branch family of the clan was beneath the main family. She believed that they should be treated with respect since they are also part of the family.
When she first saw the caged bird seal in action, it horrified her to the core. She was walking with the elders when a woman of the branch family bumped into her by accident. The woman and Hinata both apologized to each other, but the elders berated the woman for daring to do that to a main family member. After the scolding was over, the elders decided that this was a good opportunity to teach Hinata how to activate the seal. The elders explained to her how to activate the seal and what would happen, and it horrified Hinata to no end. No matter how much prodding the elders did, Hinata refused to subject her family to that kind of pain. Having enough, the elders decided to activate the seal themselves. The wails of agony the woman produced as she fell to the ground clutching her head would forever be engrained into Hinata's mind.
Since that day, Hinata observed the way the branch members were treated. It disgusted her that her clan was willing to treat their own family as slaves. She vowed to put a stop to these malicious actions when she became clan head. From what she observed: she, her sister, her father sometimes, and her mother were the only people who treated the branch members with any hint of kindness.
The thought of her deceased mother, Hitomi, dampened Hinata's mood even more. She would always comfort her whenever she was feeling down and was also who she received her kind nature from. However, she died after her sister was born due to complications, and now no one was there to comfort her.
Deciding not to stay in a somber mood, Hinata left the compound to go for a walk.
(Leaf Village Streets)
Hinata was dressed in winter attire as she walked throughout the village not paying any mind to where she was headed.
She continued walking not even stopping when she arrived in a snowy forest. What did halt her, however, was the appearance of three kids. The three were older than her, and they all had hostile scowls on their faces. Hinata tried to walk past them, but they blocked her path.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" one of the bullies, presumably the leader, asked.
"Can you please let me through?" Hinata asked in a meek voice.
"Huh? What was that? Speak up we can't hear you?" Another one asked.
"Hey, look at her eyes. She's a Hyūga!" the final bully pointed out.
"Hey if you're a Hyūga, show us your Byakugan!"
"If you can't, don't show your face around here!"
"Your eyes are really creepy."
"I bet you're some kind of monster, right?"
"Yeah, you Byakugan monster!"
With her lackluster performance in the spar, her father's disappointed words, and Neji's degrading words, Hinata struggled to keep herself together. But, in the end, her strength failed her, and she burst into tears while the three bullies laughed.
"Hey! Cut it out!"
The three bullies and Hinata looked toward the sound of the voice and found another kid around her age. He had spiky yellow hair, blue eyes, a red scarf around his neck, and a pair of goggles on his forehead. His most distinctive feature was the three strange whisker markings on each of his cheeks.
"Huh?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! The future Hokage, -ttebayo!" he proclaimed while giving the three older kids as fierce a glare as he could muster.
"The future Hokage?" the leader mockingly asked.
"Are you stupid?" the one to the leader's left questioned.
"Get ready! Bunshin no Jutsu!" he shouted while putting his fingers together in a hand seal and causing two puffs of smoke to appear. The bullies were initially shocked by the display until the smoke died down...
Only to reveal two miniature-sized Narutos.
"Come at me!" the first clone challenged in a squeaky voice.
"Yeah!" the second one shouted in a high-pitched voice of its own.
The bullies burst into laughter while Naruto's eyes shrunk to the size of marbles as a bead of sweat rolled down his head. "Why you!" Having enough, the leader ran up to Naruto and punched him in the face. Naruto gained a bruise and a dazed expression as blood spouted out from his nose causing him to fall on his back. "I knocked him out!" the leader cheered. "Future Hokage, yeah right!" he mocked as the three of them destroyed Naruto's scarf by pulling it, "Wearing a red scarf..." twisting it, "Thinking it makes him look cool!" and stepping on it. After finishing with the scarf, the three walked off leaving a dazed Naruto and an amazed Hinata.
Hinata was shocked that this boy would step in to save her when he didn't need to. However, she was also depressed that he wound up getting beat up and with his scarf destroyed. Hinata walked over to the scarf, picked it up, and examined it. It was torn in several places, threads were coming loose, and it had specs of dirt splattered on it. She placed the scarf into her arms and walked over to the boy to check on him. The boy was still dazed on the ground, and a trickle of blood ran down his nose.
'Look what happened, Hinata. You couldn't protect yourself, so this nice boy had to step in to save you. And his scarf is now ruined,' she berated herself.
"Hinata-sama, you should know by now. There is no point in trying to become stronger. You are and always will be a weakling."
Hinata tried to shut out Neji's words, but looking over her recent actions, she wondered if he was right. Deciding to try to do what she could to help Naruto, she reached out her hand to try to wake him up only for him to snap out of his daze and jump up to his feet.
"Hold it! Hold it! This time, I'll do a super-duper jutsu and-?" he trailed off when he realized that the bullies were long gone and the only other person there was Hinata who was looking at him in concern. He couldn't help but stop and admire her eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of lavender he had ever seen. Realizing that he was staring he quickly looked away and crouched on the ground rubbing his sore cheek. "Ow," he muttered.
She knelt beside him, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he grumbled. Noticing her eyes again he asked, "You're a Hyūga, right?"
"Yes. I'm the cl-clan heiress." she stuttered.
"Really? That's so cool!" he exclaimed with wide eyes.
"I-I guess so".
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm gonna be Hokage someday," he proclaimed. The confidence he exuded awed Hinata, and she couldn't help but stare at him. "What's your name?"
Snapping out of her daze, she replied, "Hyūga Hinata."
"Hinata. That's a nice name," he complimented.
Hinata's cheeks grew a small red hue, "Th-thank you." To change the subject, she brought up another issue. "Your scarf. It's ruined," she said as she held out the torn red fabric.
"It's nothing," he replied as he gave her a foxlike grin.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'll get a new one somehow," he reassured as he stood up and began to walk away.
"U-umm," Hinata called out.
"Yeah?" Naruto answered back.
"Th-Thank you very much."
"Oh, it was no problem. See Ya!" he called back. Before he left Hinata's sight though he called out to her again, "By the way, your eyes are pretty! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"
Hinata's face grew a darker shade of red as she held the red scarf close to her. Though, she couldn't stop the small smile as she watched Naruto's retreating form. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."
Naruto and Sasuke
Later that day, Naruto was walking through the village with a huge grin on his face. Not the grin that he would plaster on in public, but a truly genuine one. He had finally met a person who didn't run when they came near him. She also didn't talk down to him; when Hinata spoke, he could practically feel her kindness in every word. He didn't know why but, he just couldn't get the image of that pale-eyed, blue-haired girl out of his head. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the villagers' various comments of "Hey, is that the boy?", "Why does the Hokage allow him to live?", and "Stay away from that boy; he's trouble."
Naruto's train of thought came to a halt when he encountered a store. What caught his eye was an ANBU-style fox mask hanging on a rack. The mask was white, had orange lines around the eyes and mouth, and had three orange whiskers. Naruto also noticed three more masks beside them; one was an owl mask with purple lines, another was a tiger mask with blue lines, and the final one was a dolphin mask with pink lines. His face broke into a wide smile as he marveled at the masks.
Unfortunately, the store clerk noticed him. He scowled and stormed over to the eight-year-old. "You brat!" he snarled and he pushed Naruto into the snow, "Go away!" Naruto got up into a sitting position and scowled at the clerk. "What are you doing here, you plague?!" At this point, a small crowd formed around the pair.
"What! I was only..." Naruto started before he looked down as his scowl shrunk to a small frown, "I was only looking at the masks."
The clerk walked over to the shelf and picked up the fox mask. "You want this?!" he questioned before throwing it at Naruto and hitting him in the head. "Well, you can have it. Now, get lost!" he yelled before turning away.
"But I can't pay for it," Naruto tried to explain.
The store clerk turned around with his scowl deepening as he reached for the other three ANBU-style masks and threw them at Naruto, who put his hands up in defense. "Did you not hear me the first time?! I SAID GET OUT!" he shouted before storming off again and slamming the back door shut.
Naruto sat on the snowy ground for several seconds before he slowly got to his feet and picked up the four masks. He finally noticed the crowd of villagers looking at him with fear, hate, and disgust. Now, there was nothing to keep his mind off their remarks.
"Look at that boy."
"Causing trouble for that poor store clerk."
"Why doesn't the Hokage get rid of him."
"He's just a nuisance."
Naruto stared at the ground as the villagers' comments rang through his head and his grip around the masks tightened. "Why are you all looking at me like that?" he asked before breaking out into a sprint. "I haven't done anything to any of you!" he shouted as he kept his head down refusing to let the villagers see his tears; to let them see how much they affected him.
Naruto didn't know how long he ran, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get away from the fearful and hateful glances. A while passed before Naruto finally ran low on energy and stopped to catch his breath. He looked up to figure out his surroundings and observed he was near a lake with a pier sitting on it. What next caught his attention was the person sitting on the pier.
They were a boy that was about the same age as him. He had black hair that stuck out in the back and black eyes. He wore mostly blue winter attire, and his coat had a red and white fan symbol on the back.
What mostly caught Naruto's eye and filled him with concern was the feeling the boy gave off; he could practically sense the despair emanating from the boy. It also didn't help that the boy looked dead inside: like he didn't care what happened to him anymore since he had already been through hell. He could also sense the anger and sadness hiding behind the dead look. Naruto did not like that look. Not one bit.
Deciding to try to help the boy out, Naruto walked over to the pier and sat down to the boy's right while also setting the mask down beside him. The boy was caught off-guard by this action and turned to give Naruto a glance. He received a small grin from the energetic blonde in return. He turned back to the lake and continued to stare at the water after regaining his composure. They sat there in mildly tense silence, both of them wondering what the other boy would do.
"Hi," Naruto greeted cheerfully.
"..." Sasuke didn't respond, however.
"Cool weather we're having today," Naruto tried to get the boy to talk again.
"..." it didn't work.
Figuring that he was getting nowhere, Naruto tried a different tactic. "Has anyone ever told you that your hair looks like a duck's butt?"
Well, he got a response. It just wasn't one he expected. The boy grunted as his right eye began to twitch.
Naruto took note of the boy's reaction and tried again one last time. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto." This time the boy turned to him, and they locked eyes for what seemed like hours as they stared into each other's souls. The only reason they could figure each other out was because they were in practically the same boat. The both of them hid their sadness behind a mask; Naruto: was behind a mask of cheerfulness, and the other boy: was behind a mask of indifference. In those tense moments, they realized that they had more in common than they both realized. After what felt like an eternity, the other boy finally spoke up.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
"Uchiha? Aren't you part of the clan with the funny-looking eyes?" Naruto questioned.
"They're not funny-looking," Sasuke lightly snapped, his indifferent mask cracking slightly. "It's called the Sharingan and it's the greatest dojutsu ever," he proclaimed with an air of pride.
"What about the Hyūga's Bakugan?" Naruto questioned with a tilt of his head.
"It's Byakugan," Sasuke informed with a dubious look. "And please," Sasuke scoffed, "The Sharingan is better."
"Speaking of the Uchiwa-" Naruto started.
"Uchiha," Sasuke cut in.
"That's what I said," Naruto replied while ignoring Sasuke's dumbstruck expression, "Where are they? I haven't seen them around the village a lot."
At this Sasuke's body tensed as unwanted memories began flooding his mind. He began to shake in rage and his sadness was no longer hidden.
Naruto noticed the tension and began to lightly sweat. He didn't want to anger Sasuke since he seemed like a good person, and Naruto could relate to him. To calm the emotional storm happening next to him, Naruto made him an offer. "Hey, Sasuke," the blonde literally shook him out of his thoughts. "Have you ever tried ramen before?"
Sasuke managed to reign in his emotions, but he was still shaking slightly as he looked toward Naruto with a curious look, "What's ramen?"
Naruto stared at Sasuke like he had just shot a puppy. He stood up, grabbed his masks, and pulled Sasuke to his feet. "Sasuke..." he said in a deadly serious tone, "It seems you need to be educated on the wonder that is ramen." Naruto dragged Sasuke to one of his favorite places in the village and Sasuke was too dumbstruck to protest.
(Ichiraku's Ramen)
On their way to the ramen shop, Naruto and Sasuke observed the looks the other boy was receiving. Naruto received looks of fear and hate while Sasuke received looks of pity and adoration, which both boys ignored. They also took note of some of the villagers who gave them surprised expressions; some even became distracted and ran into various lampposts, walls, and other villagers. This continued until they finally reached their destination.
The first thing Sasuke noticed when they arrived at the Ichiraku's Ramen was the delicious aroma that assaulted his nose. It sort of reminded him of the homecooked food that his mother used to make. He looked behind the counter and saw that there was an old grey-haired man behind the counter with a striped hat and a white apron. Next to him was a girl older than him and Naruto with brown hair who also wore the same attire as the old man, only she had a white cloth wrapped around her head.
"Hey, Teuchi-jiji, Ayame-chan!" Naruto greeted.
"Oh, Naruto-kun! How are you doing?" Ayame greeted cheerfully.
"I'm doing great, -ttebayo!" Naruto answered with a wide grin before gesturing to Sasuke, "This is Uchiha Sasuke."
"Ah, nice to meet you Uchiha Sasuke," Teuchi addressed Sasuke. He slightly bowed his head in greeting before turning to Ayame. He was caught off guard when he found her giving him a once-over with an intense gaze. Sasuke began to sweat; it was as if the girl was a judge, and he was on trial.
After a moment, Ayame gave him a nod, "All right. You're okay in my book." Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. "So, Naruto what will you be having?"
"I take a large bowl of Miso Ramen!" Naruto ordered as he sat on one of the stools and placed his masks next to him, "What do you want Sasuke?"
"I'll have what he's having in a regular size," Sasuke replied, following Naruto's actions, as Ayame and Teuchi got to work making the ramen. "So, what's so great about ramen?" Sasuke asked.
"What's so great about ramen? Everything!" Naruto proclaimed. "The noodles: delicious, the toppings: divine, and don't get me started on the broth. Ramen is the food of the gods!" Naruto exclaimed while Sasuke just stared at him and Teuchi and Ayame chuckled.
"...I think you might have an addiction," Sasuke deadpanned.
"What? No, I don't" Naruto replied.
"Do you even know what that word means?" Sasuke questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"...I can guess," Naruto muttered while rubbing the back of his head.
"Never mind," Sasuke sighed. "Where did you get those masks?" he asked and gestured to the mentioned objects.
"Oh, I saw them in a store," Naruto picked up the fox mask and showed it to Sasuke. "I didn't think I could afford it, but the store owner... kind of... just gave them to me...," Naruto trailed off at that last part, and Sasuke grew curious.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
"... He threw them at me and told me to get lost..., I don't really want to talk about it," Naruto muttered in a low voice. The contrast against the blonde's previous demeanor threw Sasuke for a loop. He noticed that Teuchi and Ayame both had solemn expressions on their faces, Teuchi even looked at him and shook his head no. Sasuke got the message and dropped the subject.
A few minutes of menial conversation passed when their respective bowls of ramen were set down in front of them. Naruto broke apart his chopsticks and proceeded to inhale the ramen. Sasuke watched the spectacle in both awe and disgust. He finished his bowl in just about one minute, much to Sasuke's astonishment, and ordered another bowl.
Sasuke, deciding to try the ramen out for himself, picked up his chopsticks and slurped up a few noodles. Sasuke could see why Naruto liked ramen so much; the food was flavorful, and he could see himself eating this again. By the time Sasuke finished his first bowl, Naruto had already finished his fifth and was patting his stomach in satisfaction.
"Ah. Great ramen as always Teuchi-jiji," Naruto complimented.
"Hey, I made it, too," Ayame playfully pouted.
"Oh, your ramen was good, too, Ayame-chan," Naruto quickly reassured her. Teuchi just chuckled before handing Naruto the check. He looked at the check and reached into his pocket when he realized something.
He still didn't have any money.
Naruto began to sweat bullets as Teuchi merely gazed at him. Teuchi had often told him to not worry about paying if he didn't have the money, but Naruto always felt like he was cheapening the ramen chef every time he did. He hated doing so, but Naruto knew that he had to ask the ramen chef to let him go without paying.
Sasuke noticed the blonde's troubled expression and figured that he didn't have the money to pay for the ramen. So, he decided to help him out. "Here I'll pay for it," Sasuke offered as he held his hand out for the check.
"Really?" Naruto asked awed that two people showed him kindness on the same day.
"Sure. And don't worry about paying me back. It's fine" Sasuke replied and Naruto handed him the check. When Sasuke received the check, he stared at the bill for several seconds. While it wasn't overly expensive, the price was still pretty high. He looked at Naruto with a blank expression, looked back at the check, and back to Naruto before sighing. "Don't say I never did anything for you," Sasuke stated before handing Teuchi the right amount of money.
"Thank you, Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed with a small smile.
"It was nothing. Just don't make it a habit," Sasuke replied.
"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto called in a more subdued voice than usual, "Do you want to be friends?"
Sasuke took note of the hesitance in his voice and thought back to his day. How Naruto approached him on the pier, the blonde eating ramen with him, overall, just the boy showing him genuine kindness instead of pity. Sasuke gave Naruto a small smile and answered, "Yes," before walking out of the ramen stand.
Naruto had the biggest smile on his whiskered face ever. He had made two friends in just one day. If you saw Naruto right now, his grin would out-brighten the sun. "Man today is a good day." Teuchi and Ayame smiled when they heard those words. "Teuchi-jiji, Ayame-chan, I have to go," Naruto stood up from the stool and grabbed his masks. "The academy starts tomorrow and I need to get ready."
"Okay, thanks for stopping by Naruto," Teuchi waved goodbye.
"Bye, Naruto," Ayame waved as well.
Naruto waved back at the two of them and started on his trek home to prepare for his first day at the Shinobi Academy.
Sakura and Hinata
Inside a small clothing store, a young girl sat on a bench near a rack of clothes. The girl's name was Haruno Sakura. She was around eight years old and had on a red shirt and white pants. Her most distinct features were her emerald eyes and her bright pink hair. Her head rested on her palm, and her eyes roamed around the store absently.
In front of her, her mother was searching through the clothes racks to find dresses for her daughter to wear for her first day at the academy. She didn't even notice that her daughter's mind was somewhere else entirely. The woman was middle-aged with shoulder-length brownish blonde hair and emerald green eyes as well. She was wearing a white dress that opened on the side to reveal her red pants. This woman's name was Haruno Mebuki.
Realizing that her daughter had spaced out, Mebuki spoke up, "Sakura!"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Sakura looked down in shame before replying, "Ma'am?"
Mebuki let out a sigh, "Tomorrow is the start of the academy. I want you to live your best life, and in order to do that you need to look your best."
Sakura mentally sighed. She loved her mother dearly, but she always hated it when Mebuki tried to get her to act like a "prim and proper" woman. She didn't have anything against those types of women, it just wasn't her. "I'm going to the academy to be a kunoichi, right? I don't need to worry about that." Sakura replied.
"Oh, honey, no. You're not going to be a kunoichi." Sakura let out a sigh and Mebuki frowned, "Yes, being a kunoichi means you get to go on cool missions and stuff, but you don't need all that. What you need is to live a life of luxury."
"So why am I even going to the academy?" Sakura asked.
"You're going there so you can get the attention of an heir to one of the clans; preferably the Uchiha, but any will do. If you catch their eye, they might make you their wife in the future, and you will live with people waiting on you hand and foot. And you need to look your best. You can't look good with battle scars and a muscular body," Mebuki explained, "You need to keep your skin clear and smooth, and you also need to stay slim, that's why I put you on that diet." Mebuki noticed that Sakura wanted to speak up but was hesitant, "Do you have something you want to say?"
"...I was actually hoping that I could become a kunoichi," Sakura finally spoke up.
Mebuki frowned at her daughter's admittance, "Baby, I already told you that you're not going to become a kunoichi,"
"But being a kunoichi is awesome," Sakura protested. "I mean look at all the amazing kunoichi out there: Senju Tsunade, Yūhi Kurenai, and there was another one I don't know her name, but she was called the Red Death. Those are all wonderful women and I want to be just like them." She couldn't disguise the awe in her voice as she talked about the mentioned kunoichi.
Mebuki began to lose her patience, "Sakura, you are not going to become one of those barbaric excuses for women."
Hearing her name caused Sakura to tense but she still pressed on, "But, Mom-"
"Sakura!"
Further argument from Sakura was cut off when her mother raised her voice. "Sakura...," Mebuki started as her eyes bore into Sakura's, "As long as you are my daughter you are not becoming a ninja. Do you understand?"
Sakura lowered her head in defeat. "...Yes, Mom" she answered.
"Good." Mebuki's eyes softened, "Sakura, I only want the best for you. You know that, right?". When Sakura didn't respond, Mebuki sighed and went back to searching for dresses.
While her mother did so, Sakura found her eyes landing on the exit, and an idea formed in her head. "Do it," a black and white apparition that resembled Sakura stated from within her mind. This was her inner self: Inner Sakura.
"Aah, this one looks nice," Mebuki pulled out a green and red dress that caught her eye. "The green will really bring out your eyes. What do you think, Sakura?" She turned back to her daughter only to see that she wasn't there. "Sakura?" She looked around and found that she wasn't anywhere in the store either. Worry gripped Mebuki's heart, and without even putting the clothes back, she rushed out the door to look for her wayward daughter.
(Leaf Village Streets)
Sakura had spent the past few minutes aimlessly wandering around the streets of the Leaf Village. She had no destination in mind, she just wanted to get away from her overbearing mother.
Sakura's desire to be a kunoichi had always been a source of conflict between Sakura and Mebuki. Sakura had often heard stories about the great kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf, and they inspired her to become a great kunoichi herself.
Her mother, however, greatly opposed Sakura's dream. Mebuki never respected the kunoichi for willingly entering such a dangerous profession. She believed that it was a job only men should do and was adamant about her daughter not joining the Ninja Corps. The only reason Mebuki let Sakura join the academy was so she could get closer to a clan heir and in turn, have a higher chance of wooing them. Sakura never understood her reasoning.
Her dad, Haruno Kizashi, who sadly, was no longer with them, encouraged her dream, so why couldn't her mom?
Sakura was literally knocked from her thoughts when she ran into someone, and they both fell to the ground. The pinkette rubbed her soar rear and looked up at who she bumped into.
It was a girl about her age. She had midnight blue hair and lavender pupilless eyes. Sakura realized that this girl was a Hyūga.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Sakura quickly apologized and rushed to help the girl up. The Hyūga was one of the Leaf Village's most prominent clans; upsetting them was never a good idea. "Crap! Please don't scream my head off!" Inner Sakura begged.
"I-It's okay," the girl replied and accepted Sakura's offered hand.
Sakura was a little baffled at the girl's demeanor. From what she read and heard from other people, the Hyūga were always prim and proper, holding their heads up high to let other people know of their superiority.
Yet this girl was the complete opposite. She seemed very meek and closed off.
Sakura hummed. "You're a Hyūga, right?" she asked the girl. "No, duh!" her inner self mocked, but she ignored it. The bluenette nodded her head, and Sakura continued. "You don't really...," she trailed off, trying to figure out the best way to phrase her sentence, "...act like one."
The girl nodded her head, "Y-Yes, I've b-been told that b-before."
"You even stutter," Sakura pointed out, and the bluenette blushed. "Are you sure you're a Hyūga?" she smirked, deciding to tease her a bit.
"I-I'm sorry," the bluenette bowed, shocking the pinkette. "I-I'm h-hoping to b-break th-this habit somed-day."
Now Sakura was completely thrown for a loop. "Hey, hey, I was just joking," she waved her hands nervously, "You don't have to bow."
The girl raised her form but did not meet Sakura's gaze, "I-I'm sorry."
"What's up with this girl?" Inner Sakura questioned. Sakura frowned at the girl's apologetic demeanor but wiped it off before she could see it. "Hey, my name is Haruno Sakura, what's yours?" she asked.
"H-Hyūga Hinata," the now-revealed Hinata replied.
"So... what's it like being a Hyūga?" Sakura tried to start a conversation.
This caught Hinata off guard, though this time she managed to right herself faster. "I-It's all right. Most of my clansp-people are nice and the village citizens a-are kind to us. Th-Though that may just be because of my st-status," she replied, mumbling the last part to where Sakura didn't hear. "The B-Byakugan's also very useful."
"I bet. You can see all around you and even see through walls." Sakura relayed the information she learned in a textbook. "I wish I had eyes like that."
They spent the next few minutes walking around the streets and talking about amiable topics. Hinata eventually found herself at ease around Sakura which the pinkette enjoyed greatly. Their conversation eventually led to the topic of the academy.
"You're gonna start at the academy tomorrow," Sakura questioned with wide eyes. "Me, too!"
"M-Maybe we'll be in the same class," Hinata smiled at the other girl.
"That would be nice to already have a friend in the academy," Sakura smiled back. "I think I like this girl. She seems nice," her inner self commented.
"Hinata-sama!"
A stern but worried male voice cut through the cheerful atmosphere and immediately Hinata's body halted as she recognized the voice. She looked around and found Ko Hyūga, her bodyguard headed straight for her. The worried look on his face made Hinata feel guilty for walking out without telling anyone where she was going.
"Hinata-sama!" Ko rushed over to kneel in front of her and check over the clan heiress, all the while ignoring the pinkette beside her. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Where did you run off to."
"I-I'm sorry I j-just n-needed to g-go for a-a walk," Hinata's stutter was back as she addressed the older Hyūga.
Ko let out a sigh and stood back up to his full height. "Hinata-sama, next time, tell someone when you want to do something like this." He finally noticed the girl who stood beside her. "Who is this?" he questioned.
"Th-This is H-Haruno Sakura," Hinata introduced her friend. "S-She's going t-to join the a-academy t-tomorrow just l-like me."
"Hinata-sama, you are the clan heiress, you mustn't associate yourself with commoners," Ko advised with a stern gaze. Hinata nodded but looked down so Ko couldn't see her frown.
"There's the typical Hyūga," Inner Sakura muttered, and Sakura agreed.
"Come on, Hinata-sama," Ko grabbed her hand and led her away. "We must get back to the estate to prepare you for tomorrow." Hinata did not resist as Ko led her to the Hyūga Compound, but she did turn to look at Sakura one last time.
Sakura would have tried to say goodbye to her, but she knew that with Ko there, Hinata might not be able to return the goodbye. She simply met Hinata's gaze and smiled at her. The bluenette returned the smile and turned back around.
Sakura's smile faded and she let out a sigh. "Well, at least we'll see her tomorrow." She tried to find a silver lining in the situation. It cheered her up, but not by a lot.
She turned back around to continue aimlessly walking around the Leaf Village's streets until...
*CRASH*
A body running full speed knocked her off her feet and across the ground.
"OW!" Sakura shouted and grabbed her aching side. "Is this gonna become a thing today?!" her inner self raged.
Sakura turned to face the person who ran into her...
Sasuke and Sakura
Sasuke took a stroll through the village after eating ramen with Naruto. The ramen was delicious, although not enough for Sasuke to claim it was the food of the gods as Naruto did. For him, that spot would go to either tomatoes or onigiri. He also thought long and hard about Naruto. The blonde was loud, obnoxious, disgusting, and most of all an idiot. However, Sasuke could see that Naruto had a good heart; he tried to help him instead of just giving him a look of pity. He also noticed the gazes Naruto received. It confused him that hate, fear, and disgust was being directed at him. From what he's seen of Naruto, he didn't warrant those looks. 'Maybe I should ask him about that when I see him again,' he thought as a rare smile appeared on his face.
The smile vanished as Sasuke received adoring looks from his fangirls and pitying ones from the civilians, both of which he ignored. Outwardly, he was indifferent but inwardly he was scowling. He hated the adoration because he only received it due to his heritage. He was taught that true adoration comes when you accomplish something. The villagers didn't see him; only his clan name. It was the same even before that night. He also despised to a lesser degree the pitiful looks and hallow comforting words. They might have said they were sorry for what happened, but they never did anything to help. No one except that blonde knucklehead.
Sasuke continued walking until he came across a certain compound. A clan compound that had the same red and white fan symbol on Sasuke's coat all across it and was completely devoid of life. The Uchiha Compound.
Sasuke tensed up as he looked at the former home of his kin, and his mind flashed back to that one horrible night.
The dead bodies of his clansmen and clanswomen littering the streets.
The motionless corpses of his parents over a pool of blood.
A red eye with a black, three-pointed shuriken in the center.
Sasuke's breathing increased and he started shaking like a leaf in a storm. He turned around and bolted away, uncaring about anyone he bumped into and the concerned looks of anyone watching him. He could care less about where he was headed, he just needed to get away from his former home; to stop the memories from resurfacing.
Sasuke's disregard for those around him finally caught up with him when he bumped into someone. The collision finally knocked Sasuke out of his turmoil and he turned to look at the person he launched across the street.
It was a girl around his age with pink hair and green eyes, and she was dressed in red and white. Sasuke winced as she let out a pained cry. The girl turned toward him and shouted, "Watch where you're going asshole!"
"Sorry about that," he winced again and reached out his hand to help her up. He noticed that the girl was staring off into space with a shocked expression, though she still grabbed his hand and stood. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"What?" she snapped out of her daze and looked at him.
"You're staring off into space. Do you need to go to the doctor?" Sasuke questioned again.
"Oh, no, I'm fine. I'm just wondering where that came from," She explained. The pinkette ignored the voice in her head shouting "I DO!"
Sasuke was confused for a moment before he put two and two together. "You mean you shouting at me?" he asked to confirm.
The girl turned beet red, "Yeah. I don't usually do that. I'm sorry"
Sasuke waved off her apologies, "Don't worry about it. It was my fault anyway."
"Well..., apology excepted," Her face was still flushed but to a lesser degree now. She stood up to try to walk, but she collapsed when she felt pain in her leg. She would have fallen had Sasuke not caught her.
"You can't walk, can you?" Sasuke asked. The girl shook her head, and Sasuke felt guilt settle in his stomach. "Here," Sasuke crouched down and presented his back to the girl.
"What?" She asked.
"You can't walk so I'm gonna carry you," Sasuke explained. The girl responded with an "oh" and climbed on top of Sasuke's back. Sasuke wrapped his arms under her legs to steady her and stood up from his crouching position. "Where do you need to go?"
"My home. I can tell you how to get there from here." She pointed to where she needed to go, and Sasuke followed her directions.
'This feels strangely familiar' Sasuke thought absently but shook his head.
"Hey, what's your name?" The girl asked.
Sasuke winced. He knew this question was coming, but he still dreaded what would happen next. "Uchiha Sasuke."
"Uchiha?" He prepared himself for the inevitable screech of "SASUKE-KUN~", doubly so since she would be screeching it right in his ear. To his utter shock, the girl just responded, "I'm Haruno Sakura"
Sasuke stopped walking and half turned his head to Sakura. The pinkette was baffled at the shocked expression on his face. "What?"
"Thank you, God," he whispered in relief.
"What?!" Sakura was now even more baffled.
"If you turned out to be another one of my fangirls, I was fully prepared to drop you and make a run for it," Sasuke responded in an even tone.
"Are you serious?!" Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I am dead serious," Sasuke's tone reflected his words.
"Well..., I have more respect for myself than that, so you better be glad I'm not one of them," Sakura responded in a haughty voice to mask the uneasiness she felt.
"You didn't have to tell me that once," Sasuke stated and continued walking.
"Are your fangirls really that awful?" Sakura questioned, idly pointing in the direction that Sasuke needed to go.
Instead of answering verbally, Sasuke tilted his head in one direction, and Sakura looked to where he indicated. She found a group of three girls the same age as them shooting venomous looks at her.
Sakura scowled and snapped at them, "What are you looking at?!" The three quickly scrambled away in fright, and Sakura hummed in approval.
"Are you sure you don't act like this often?" Sasuke asked.
Sakura again realized what she had done, and tried to hide her red face behind Sasuke's back. "I swear I don't know where this is coming from," She insisted.
As Sasuke continued to carry Sakura toward her house, they continued to chat with each other. Sasuke was glad she wasn't squealing his name every 5 seconds, and Sakura found his demeanor interesting. Their conversation led to them talking about the academy, and they both found out that they would be starting on the same day, which they both were secretly happy about.
Finally, Sasuke reached Sakura's house. Much to their surprise, a middle-aged woman was standing outside of it, pacing back and forth. The woman turned to look at them when she noticed their approach.
"Sakura!" the woman ran over to her.
Sasuke guessed that the woman was Sakura's mother. He set the girl down on her feet and gave room for the woman to hug her daughter as tight as she could.
"Where did you go? I was so worried about you!"
The concern in her voice made Sakura feel slightly guilty for ditching her, and she returned the hug. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just needed a break," she voiced her feelings.
Mebuki let out a sigh and locked onto Sakura with a stern gaze. "I was about to get the ninja involved. Don't do that again."
"Yes, ma'am," Sakura replied, and her mother nodded.
Mebuki turned her head to face the boy who had carried her daughter here and realized with a start that it was Uchiha Sasuke. "U-Uchiha-sama!" The woman bowed in greeting, so she didn't notice the annoyed look on Sasuke's face. "Thank you so much for bringing my daughter back home."
"Don't mention it," Sasuke responded in an even tone as he tried to keep the annoyance off of his face. Sakura mouthed the words "I'm sorry" to him, and he nodded. "Well, I'll be off then. I need to get ready for tomorrow," Sasuke turned around and started to walk away.
"Are you sure, Uchiha-sama? You don't want to stay for dinner?" Mebuki offered with a glint in her eyes. Sakura noticed and facepalmed in embarrassment.
"I'm good I've got stuff at home," Sasuke responded without turning around.
Mebuki let out a disappointed sigh but regained her cheer when she addressed her daughter. "Come on, Sakura. You need to get ready, too. Also, I'm gonna need an explanation." The glint in her eyes was back as she stepped into the house.
Sakura sighed but followed suit and walked up the stairs into her home. Before she fully walked in though, she turned to Sasuke and shouted. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke stopped in place, and Sakura worried that she may have said the wrong thing. Her worries were for naught, however, as he turned around and waved at her. The pinkette waved back at him before he turned around and continued on his path. Sakura watched him walk away for a few more seconds before she walked into her house and closed the door behind her.
Back with Sasuke, he had a small smile on his face as he walked back to his apartment. Today had been one of the best days that he had in a while, the center of it being the two kids he had made friends with.
They were nice people, and he was looking forward to seeing them again.
A/N: Thanks for reading.
If you're wondering why Naruto could "sense" Sasuke's despair, don't worry, that will be explained later.
Brutally honest reviews are greatly appreciated.
Original Date: Aug/13/2021
Revised Date: Sep/21/2021
Reworked Date: Nov/20/2023